


Cherries

by orphan_account



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Background Relationships, Choi Yeonjun-Centric, Happy Ending, M/M, Mentioned ATEEZ Ensemble, Mentioned Stray Kids Ensemble, Pining, Slow Burn, Vaping, rated for language and vaping, theyre very minor - Freeform, txt are a band, yeonjun wooyoung changbin bffies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:23:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27127847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “Yeonjun, why are you so nice to me?”“Because I think you’re cool.”“Me? Cool? Ha!”“You don’t think so?”“No? I’m literally an introvert who makes music with his friends in a garage and vapes to relieve stress.”“That makes you like, the coolest person ever,” Yeonjun said. “You’re literally the definition of cool."orIn which Yeonjun hopelessly falls for Choi Soobin, the boy he bumps into at the boba shop. Soobin plays guitar in the band he and his friends made in his garage.
Relationships: Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Comments: 15
Kudos: 110





	Cherries

**Author's Note:**

> hi hi ! i haven't posted anything on ao3 for over two years now and i'm getting familiar with everything again so please bear with me !! here's a cute little (maybe not so little) oneshot that i've been working on for a while now <3
> 
> quick disclaimer :  
> i am in no way trying to promote underage/teenage vaping nor am i trying to romanticize or glorify it . it is simply displayed as a coping mechanism for stress in this work and i have done research to understand the causes and effects of it to the best of my ability .
> 
> also, all songs referenced in this work will be in the end notes !
> 
> enjoy <3

Yeonjun couldn’t help but be infatuated by the warm breeze flowing through his hair, caressing his sun-kissed cheeks as he walked down the sidewalk, a winding cement leading him down a path surrounded by countless trees. Vibrant flowers would occasionally waltz down to the ground, unable to defend themselves from the unforgiving wind and forced to detach themselves from the branch they were once a part of.

Late summer afternoons like these were when Yeonjun felt most at peace, his mind calm as he continued to wander mindlessly, taking in the scenery Seoul had to offer him. He had grown up in the city his whole life, yet he still felt that he hadn’t quite experienced everything it had to offer.

Yeonjun’s life was rather desirable; a loving and well-off family, school popularity, and his two closest friends Changbin and Wooyoung who he wouldn’t exchange for the world. Yet something still felt missing, an empty space in Yeonjun’s chest. It made him feel selfish; what more could he possibly need? Others would kill to be in such a stable place in life.

 _Love_. That’s what was missing. It’s not that Yeonjun didn’t receive it—he got tons of it—, it was more so the fact that all the love he _does_ get is platonic.

All Yeonjun wants is for someone to hold him and tell him that he was their everything. It was sickening, yet he craved it. He wanted someone else’s touch, so of course, he was fond of the idea of dating someone. But who exactly would Yeonjun ever want to date?

So his decision to stop by the nearest boba shop seemed to be nothing but a blessing and if Yeonjun wanted to be dramatic, one of the best decisions he had ever made in his entire life. Upon stepping inside the cute, minimalist cafe, his eyes landed on the most beautiful person he had ever seen. It sounded like a huge fucking exaggeration, but he swore he was in the presence of an angel. 

Yeonjun stopped in his tracks as he let the glass door close behind him, trying not to gape at the boy in front of him, who was on his way out of the shop, milk tea in his hand. Yeonjun noticed a few of his fingernails were painted black, the polish chipping away gradually. He was talking to his friend, and when his lips cracked into a smile, Yeonjun could’ve _sworn_ his life was over. Dimples formed in his cheeks, the edges of his eyes crinkling as he laughed along with his friend, the genuineness of the smile hitting Yeonjun like a slap in the face. 

What felt like an eternity passed by, before the boy’s shoulder grazed Yeonjun’s in the slightest, making him wobble a bit. There were zero reasons for Yeonjun to be knocked to sudden unbalance just because someone’s shoulder _barely_ brushed his, but maybe the fact that he found this guy super attractive played a part in it. 

And what he did made Yeonjun want to pass out on the spot. He felt two large hands place themselves on his shoulders, steadying him back onto his two feet. 

“I’m so sorry!” the boy exclaimed, his eyes wide as he searched Yeonjun’s face for any signs of discomfort. “I didn’t mean to bump into you like that. You’re okay, right?”

“Ah, yes. I’m okay!” the statement came out breathy, Yeonjun’s heart pounding uncontrollably in his chest. He knew he could lean in and their lips would touch. But Yeonjun had something called self-control and decided it would be a good time to utilize it. “And don’t worry about it! I wasn’t paying attention.”

The boy’s gaze softened, Yeonjun’s heart dropping a tad when he lifted his hands off of his shoulders. “Sorry about that again.” He turned to his friend, who was watching the encounter with a mischievous smile on his face as if he _knew_ that this weird stranger found his friend cute. “Let’s go, Kai?”

“Yeah, that’s fine, Soobin,” he smiled, Yeonjun assuming that this Kai guy seemed like a foreigner based on his face and appearance. But Yeonjun wasn’t a firm believer in judgement and assumptions, so he shrugged it off and imprinted that name into his mind. 

_Soobin._

—

“Yeonjun, you’re staring.”

“Hm?” said male quickly looked away and at Changbin, who had just spoken. “Staring at what?”

“That guy over there,” Wooyoung said, setting his crinkled water bottle down atop the cafeteria table the three were sitting at. “Choi Soobin, right?”

“Mhm,” Changbin nodded his head, looking over his shoulder to look at the guy that Yeonjun hadn’t stopped thinking about ever since the day at the boba shop. “And it’s so obvious.”

“It is _not_ obvious!” Yeonjun huffed, pouting at his friends as the two exchanged the smirks wiped across their faces. “I just recognized him from somewhere. And I didn’t know he went to this school.”

“Really? He’s kinda well-known around here for his looks despite his introverted personality,” Wooyoung said. “I never talked to him but he seems nice.”

Maybe Soobin _was_ the nicest person Yeonjun had ever met. He smiled to himself as he remembered how apologetic Soobin was for bumping into him the other day. How sweet.

“He’s smiling guys,” Changbin said as he nudged Wooyoung’s arm, who snickered as Yeonjun glared at the two of them.

“Just ask him out, he’ll probably say yes,” Wooyoung suppressed the rest of his laughter. “You’re exceptionally attractive.”

Yeonjun dramatically placed his hand to his heart. “Oh Wooyoung, you’re _so_ sweet for calling me attractive. Maybe I’ll ask _you_ out instead.”

“Bitch-” Wooyoung picked his water bottle back up and unscrewed the cap off as if threatening to splash whatever remaining water was left onto Yeonjun, who was now trying to hold back his own laughter.

“Anyway,” Changbin stood up, picking up his lunch tray. “The bell is gonna ring soon, and I have to get my chemistry homework from Hyunjin since his dumbass fell asleep in class yesterday and decided to copy off of me _again_. I’ll see you guys later.” Yeonjun and Wooyoung bid their farewells before turning back to each other, the look on Wooyoung’s face expectant.

“So, Choi Soobin?”

Yeonjun rolled his eyes, praying the blood rushing up to his cheeks wasn’t obvious. “Forget it.”

“No, because you’re clearly interested,” Wooyoung smiled, mischief glinting in his eyes before the bell rang overhead just as Changbin had predicted before leaving.

Yeonjun sighed in relief, despite the fact he knew he was going to be interrogated by both Wooyoung and Changbin after school today about his sudden interest in Soobin. “Whatever. Go find San and make out with him or something.” He smirked before quickly slinging his backpack over his shoulder and blowing a kiss goodbye to Wooyoung—who’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor at the mention of his crush—before exiting the cafeteria.

—

The final bell of the day rang, and Yeonjun quickly picked up his belongings before ducking out of the classroom and into the hallways, articulating a plan to avoid Changbin and Wooyoung on the spot for the sake of his pride. And it’s not like he _liked_ Soobin or anything, he just thought he was cute. No more no less. These emotions churning in Yeonjun’s chest would go away soon enough, right?

Wrong.

Because in the middle of his hasty brainstorming, Yeonjun had decided to walk the opposite direction he usually does at the end of the school day, trailing down unfamiliar hallways as a sea of students seemed to be filing out the opposite direction.

Upon narrowly escaping the overwhelmingly large number of people he had to weave his way through just for the sake of his esteemed self-confidence, Yeonjun looked over his shoulder to make sure he didn’t see anyone he knew. He didn’t, which added much to his relief as he looked back ahead, his heart dropping all the way to his feet as such relief suddenly seemed to disappear.

Before Yeonjun stood the last person he expected to see, their eyes meeting.

“Oh, it’s you again!” Soobin’s lips turned to a small smile as he recognized Yeonjun, who stood there dumbstruck. “I didn’t know you went here?”

“Oh, um, yea! I do,” Yeonjun smiled, feeling as if his feet were glued to the ground. He was _not_ expecting to bump into Choi Soobin of all people. _What the fuck do I say?_ “You know, I didn’t know you went here either. What a pleasant surprise.” 

_Pleasant surprise? You sound like a middle-aged woman or something._

Soobin nodded. “Anyway, what’s your name? I believe I don’t know it yet.”

“Oh, yeah,” the flustered smile wouldn’t leave Yeonjun’s face. “I’m Choi Yeonjun.”

“Really?” Soobin’s eyes lit up. “I’m Choi Soobin. I guess we have the same last name.”

“Yeah, we do!” Yeonjun nodded. He could _not_ handle the backflips his heart was currently doing thanks to the pure joy glinting in Soobin’s eyes. “Anyway, you have a class back here?”

“Oh, yeah. I play guitar and decided to just take the class for it here to fill up one of my elective slots,” Soobin said, his hand traveling up to rub at the back of his neck. “I know it sounds dumb, but I enjoy playing it.”

“Oh no, it’s not weird at all!” Yeonjun said, growing more and more captivated by the boy as he talked. “I think that’s really cool, actually.”

“You think so?” Soobin’s cheeks grew noticeably pink at the compliment.

“Mhm!” Yeonjun hummed, the hallway noticeably quieter now as it was practically empty. “Do you wanna walk with me to the front gate? Unless you’re not going that way. And it’s completely okay if you don’t wanna walk with me since you like, barely even know who I am.” _And now I’m rambling. Humiliating._

“Yeah, why not?” Soobin smiled. “Let’s go?”

Yeonjun nodded, hoping his infatuation wasn’t obvious. “Yeah, let’s go!”

—

“You really ditched walking home with _me_ for Choi Soobin?” Wooyoung sighed, ripping a piece of paper out of his notebook. “That hurts.”

“Yeah, but you clearly had someone else to keep you company while I was gone,” Yeonjun retorted, turning away from his laptop to face Wooyoung before his eyes landed on Choi San, who held a vape pen between two of his fingers. (Yes, Yeonjun had scolded San about it upon coming home, but still tolerated it as Yeonjun himself would take a hit from Wooyoung’s pen whenever there was an opportunity). The two were laying on their stomachs atop Yeonjun’s bed, having arrived at his own home before him. San winked and Yeonjun just rolled his eyes. 

“Why’d you even go that way in the first place?” Wooyoung asked. “You _know_ where we always meet up after school.”

“Because I just _knew_ you and Changbin were gonna bombard me with questions about Soobin,” Yeonjun sighed, turning back to his computer. “Looks like I couldn’t escape my wretched fate.”

“Well, now my curiosity is piqued,” Wooyoung said, picking up his pencil and looking down at the math textbook open in front of him. “Does he like you back already? I mean, he obviously seems to like your presence.”

“I highly doubt that,” Yeonjun muttered, leaning back in his chair. “He’s just really nice.”

“Okay...but maybe he’s a bitch to other people?” San chimed into the conversation, bringing the pen up to his lips. “But if we’re talking about Choi Soobin, the guy just seems super nice overall.” He inhaled, vapor leaving his mouth seconds after.

“Exactly,” Yeonjun shut his laptop, knowing he wouldn’t be getting shit done with these two in his bedroom. On a typical Wednesday afternoon like this, Yeonjun and Wooyoung would walk to the former’s house when his parents weren’t home and talk about whatever while doing their load of homework for the day. Today wasn’t exactly your typical Wednesday though. “So, why would I be any different from some random person he sees?”

“Maybe it’s the fact you two keep bumping into each other,” Wooyoung set his pencil back down as he leaned forward to stare at the textbook harder. 

“What if it’s fate?” San looked up, his eyes sparkling in fascination. “That bitch works wonders.”

“Really?” Yeonjun’s tone was skeptical. “Yeah, because destiny just wanted to put some hot guy in my life to make me realize how lonely I am and how low of a chance it’ll be for me to actually get with him.”

“Wait, San’s right. That bitch named fate _does_ work,” Wooyoung finally slammed the textbook shut, pushing it to the side as he leaned against San. “I mean, look at us. We’re _boyfriends_ now.”

“Bitch, since when?”

“Like, five minutes before you came home,” San said, intertwining his fingers with Wooyoung’s as if he were purposefully trying to make Yeonjun feel guilty for being single. 

“Yeah, when you told me to make out with him at the end of lunch I decided to take your advice, and yeah, we might’ve made out on your bed,” Wooyoung laughed, eyes widening before dodging a piece of lined paper Yeonjun had scrunched up into a ball. 

“Disgusting! Be glad I’m not taking back the spare key I gave you,” Yeonjun huffed, mildly annoyed that the paper ball he had thrown didn’t hit Wooyoung square in the face.

“But if it weren’t for you, San and I wouldn’t even be here,” Wooyoung said, taking San’s pen out of his hand, bringing it up to his own lips. “And if it weren’t for me being a nosy bitch, you wouldn’t have seen your precious Choi Soobin today. So I think it was a win-win situation for the both of us.”

“Whatever,” Yeonjun stood up, picking up the crumpled paper ball off the floor and tossing it into his trash can. “Maybe I’ll talk to Soobin again tomorrow, now that I know where to find him.”

“As you should,” Wooyoung took a drag, vaporized liquid leaving his mouth and dissolving into thin air. 

“Yeah, and then make out with him so you can end up like _us_ ,” San laughed. Yeonjun just sighed when the two let go of each other’s hands to high five. 

—

“You were looking for me?”

“Yeah, I guess I was.”

Soobin looked down at Yeonjun in surprise, just as the older of the two expected. Here they stood at the end of the next school day, Soobin coming from his sixth-period guitar class only to be greeted by Yeonjun standing outside the door.

“Why?”

“Because I think you’re really nice and want to get to know you more,” Yeonjun smiled up at the taller boy, confidence beaming through his pearly whites. “Let’s start walking?”

Soobin nodded along, still not quite sure what made Yeonjun suddenly so attached to him this quickly. He didn’t mind it though. “Sure.”

The two started walking down the hallways and Yeonjun sparked up a conversation first. “Hey, where do you go after school? Do you hang out with friends, or go to the convenience store to buy something? Or do you just go home?”

“Depends on the day,” Soobin said. “Today, my friends were gonna come to my place.”

“Really?” Yeonjun looked at Soobin again. “Do they make fun of you all the time too?”

“I mean, yeah,” Soobin laughed. “But are you really friends with someone if you guys don’t bitch at each other?”

“I guess not,” Yeonjun smiled, looking down at the ground to watch their feet walk across the ground. Soobin was wearing black converse, the front of his shoes scuffed a bit. The dirt crammed into small crevices underneath the shoelaces gave away the shoes’ ages, and Yeonjun assumed Soobin wore these shoes a lot.

“Do you wanna come over to my place then?” Soobin’s voice snapped Yeonjun out of his thoughts.

“Hm?” _He is_ not _asking me to go to his house already._

“I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Soobin sheepishly smiled, shaking his head. “I mean, you barely even know me.”

“I’d love to!” Yeonjun clapped his hands together. “Your friends are nice though, right?”

“Yeah, they’d love the company,” Soobin nodded excitedly. “Let’s go then?”

—

“Guys, look! Someone new!”

The voice sounded excited, youthful, energetic. Yeonjun wished _he_ felt like that after school.

Soobin had barely opened the front door to his house and his friends—there were three of them to be exact—seemed to have been eagerly waiting for him to arrive.

“You’re right, it’s about time,” another one of them sighed. “I’m sick of you guys.”

“Hey! You fucking _love_ me, Taehyun.” Yeonjun recognized the owner of that voice; ‘Kai’ who was with Soobin at the boba shop.

“Hey guys,” Soobin shut the door behind him, Yeonjun stepping beside him, suddenly feeling small as he was scrutinized by three sets of eyes. “This is Yeonjun. I’ve bumped into him a few times at school and he didn’t mind stopping by for a bit.”

“Hey, I’ve seen you before!” Kai took a step towards Yeonjun. “You were the hot guy Soobin bumped into when we got milk tea, right?”

“Kai what-”

“You think I’m hot?” Yeonjun laughed, unsure as to whether it was Kai who thought he was hot or if Soobin had told him he thought so; he obviously hoped it was the latter.

“Don’t mind him, he _loves_ stirring shit up.” Yeonjun looked over to see the owner of this voice, who rolled his eyes at Kai's remark. “Anyways, I’m Taehyun.”

“And I’m Beomgyu, the baddest bitch here,” the third boy piped up, raising his hands in defense when Taehyun threatened to playfully smack him.

“I see. It’s nice to meet all of you,” Yeonjun smiled, waving at them before turning back to Soobin. “Are they younger than us?”

Soobin nodded. “Yeah, but they’re tolerable. I guess.”

“They seem like fun though,” Yeonjun looked back at them. “So, what do you guys do here?”

“Oh, we’re kinda like a band but like, not a _band_ band like Day6. Just a band. A group of four friends who play instruments in Soobin’s garage,” Kai explained.

“Oh my god, you did _not_ just tell Yeonjun we’re a band,” Soobin ran a hand through his hair, his cheeks growing pink.

“And for some reason, he _always_ gets embarrassed whenever we try to explain this to someone else,” Beomgyu playfully rolled his eyes. “I dunno why, but I’d be fucking proud.”

“Wait, that’s actually really cool,” Yeonjun said, looking at Soobin. “That’s not something to be ashamed of!”

“Right?” Taehyun sighed. “We’re like, really good too.”

Kai suddenly gasped, his eyes lighting up. “What if we played something for Yeonjun?”

“Oh my god, we should!” Beomgyu nodded, high fiving Kai before turning to Soobin. “Let’s do it.”

“But we’ve never played for anyone besides ourselves,” Soobin frowned.

“Well, that can change today,” Taehyun put a hand on Soobin’s shoulder. “Shall we?”

“Fine.”

So within ten minutes, Yeonjun found himself sitting down on the ground of Soobin’s garage, a blanket and pillow accompanying him as he watched the other four prepare their instruments. Soobin and Beomgyu let the straps on their guitars fall atop their shoulders while Taehyun settled in front of a synthesizer, Kai sitting down before a drumset in the back and picking up a pair of drumsticks. 

“What should we play?” Beomgyu asked, his gaze moving from Soobin to Yeonjun. “Any audience requests?”

“Whatever you guys want,” Yeonjun shrugged, bringing the pillow up to his chest to rest his chin on.

“Hmm...what about ‘You Were Beautiful’? An iconic Day6 song if I do say so myself,” Kai suggested, earning nods from the other three.

“Okay,” Soobin looked at Yeonjun, gulping as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down before he tapped his microphone. “Here’s ‘You Were Beautiful’ by Day6.”

And with that, Soobin started strumming his guitar to the beat of the song, Taehyun pressing down onto the keys of the synthesizer not long before Beomgyu and Kai joined in, the instrumental growing more and more familiar to Yeonjun, who had heard this song before.

But when Soobin started singing, Yeonjun could’ve _sworn_ his life was over then and there. His words were sweet like honey, the fluidity of his voice escaping his slightly upturned lips and hitting Yeonjun smack in the face. The verse ended and Beomgyu took over, singing the next part as Soobin stood there, strumming his fingers against the strings while his other hand lay on the fingerboard, adjusting to play the next upcoming chord.

And soon enough the chorus hit, Taehyun opening his mouth to sing the words that were the most memorable of the song. 

_“Beautiful_

_Just the way that you would look at me_

_Was so much I’d never want to leave_

_I, I_

_Keep trying to forget how you were.”_

The next few verses came and went, Soobin starting the bridge off. Yeonjun was captivated by his facial expressions; the way his eyelids fell until his eyes were nearly sealed shut, his lips dropping to take a quick breath before singing again. It felt as if someone really _had_ broken Soobin’s heart and left him here to sing about it in his garage. Yeonjun knew that most likely wasn’t the case, yet the thought of seeing Soobin heartbroken left a lingering sadness in his chest before he pushed such unrealistic thoughts away.

And with that, Taehyun and Beomgyu sang the final chorus, Kai hitting one final drum before he lightly lifted his drumsticks up and away, looking up as the others started to do the same with their own instruments. Suddenly four pairs of eyes stared expectantly at Yeonjun, who stood up and started clapping, a huge smile on his face.

“That was really good!” he continued to clap, satisfied when Soobin started beaming.

“You think so?” the tall boy asked. Yeonjun swiftly nodded.

“See, I told you we were good,” Taehyun smirked as if he was expecting the praise, yet the glimmering pride in his eyes said otherwise.

“That was actually really fun!” Kai stood up and joined the others near the front of the garage where Yeonjun was. “We should perform for people more often.”

Soobin sighed, the ghost of a smile painted onto his lips as he thought for a moment. “I mean, it’s not a horrible idea. It was kinda nice finally showing off to someone new.”

“Exactly,” Beomgyu nodded, crossing his arms. “There’s no reason to be so self-conscious.”

The others nodded in agreement, Soobin’s gaze drifting towards Yeonjun, who gave him a small nod of affirmation. 

“Fine, we can play for more people if you guys want to,” Soobin sighed, smiling weakly as the other three celebrated, high fiving and hugging as if they had just won the lottery or something. 

Yeonjun watched the four of them form a little group hug, his heart growing warm at the sight. They were like a family in a way, and it was endearing. Yeonjun couldn’t help but feel a tad bit envious of the bond it seemed like they held. Not that he wasn’t grateful for his own friends—that wasn’t the case at all—it just felt as if Soobin and his friends were on a completely different level of close.

So Yeonjun was surprised when he watched the small circle they had formed open, Kai reaching out to grab his wrist and drag him into the hug. Yeonjun’s eyes widened as he looked up at Soobin, who just smiled. And at that moment, Yeonjun felt as though he could let himself go for a moment as he sank into the group hug.

—

The next day came with an unexpected surprise that Yeonjun was greeted with upon meeting Soobin at the end of the day. Going to the end of the hallway was starting to become a routine for Yeonjun so he could meet the taller boy after school. 

“What? _Me_?” Yeonjun met Soobin’s gaze, staring at the other in disbelief. “You’re saying you want me to be a part of your guys’ band?”

“Yeah,” Soobin nodded, smiling nervously. “I mean unless you don’t want to. Which I completely understand.”

“Wait no, I’d _love_ to, it’s just that I don’t really sing or play any instruments,” Yeonjun sighed, leaning against his locker. “So I don’t really think I’m the best candidate for such a position.”

“It’s fine, I can teach you,” Soobin said. “You can play guitar too. Like an electric one. And then we’ll _really_ be like Day6 and the line distribution will be way more even when we sing their songs.”

“Are you sure? What if I’m annoying and you don’t wanna teach me anymore?” Yeonjun looked down at the floor, scrutinizing the tiles underneath his feet.

“You’re not annoying, Yeonjun,” Soobin laughed, revealing his perfect teeth. “Plus, we can get to know each other more. That’s what you want, right?”

Yeonjun nodded slowly, remembering what he had said the other day. “Right…sounds like a plan then.”

Soobin smiled even wider, suddenly taking hold of Yeonjun’s wrist, who’s eyes grew extra wide at the sudden action. “Alright then, let’s get started today?”

“Already?”

“Mhm, let’s go to my place. If you’re available, that is.”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Yeonjun said, trying to suppress the frown he felt oncoming when Soobin let go of him. “Let’s go then.”

—

Yeonjun knew he should’ve been paying attention to the guitar he cradled in his arms. One of his hands held a guitar pick, the fingers of his other lightly pressing down onto the fingerboard. 

But exactly how was he supposed to focus when Soobin’s hands were hovering above Yeonjun’s? Especially when they occasionally placed themselves atop of the older male’s when his placement was off. The mere fact the two were within such close proximity of each other was already enough of a distraction, so of course his mind couldn’t help but feel hazy as Soobin continued to place his hands on Yeonjun’s only to lift them away in a moment.

“Yeah, like that,” Soobin nodded, his jaw moving up and down as he chewed the gum in his mouth. It made his breath smell like spearmint. “Okay, now play.”

Yeonjun strummed his fingers along the strings, a chord emitting from them as he did so. He looked up at Soobin to notice the younger nod in satisfaction.

“Hey, you’re not bad.”

“You think so?”

“Mhm,” Soobin smiled. “Now you know the basic chords for ‘I Loved You’ by Day6.”

“That was quick,” Yeonjun said. “I don’t listen to Day6 too much but this is nice.”

“You should. I dunno if their music fits your tastes, but their music really hits different.”

Yeonjun nodded. Instrument-heavy, sentimental tracks weren’t exactly Yeonjun’s forte, as his playlists were full of the hard-hitting trap beats of American rappers. Yet he was willing to give Day6 a chance if Soobin enjoyed their music so much. 

“I think that’s enough for the day,” Soobin announced, his voice snapping Yeonjun out of his daze. “You’ll get more comfortable with it as you go.”

“Yeah, sorry I’m new to all this,” Yeonjun sighed, pressing the palm of his hand to his forehead to feel the thin layer of sweat that had formed from spending such a long time in the minimally-ventilated garage.

“Don’t apologize, practice makes perfect,” Soobin’s voice was gentle as he pushed himself off the floor to stand, offering a hand to Yeonjun. “Let’s go inside?”

Yeonjun nodded, taking Soobin’s outstretched hand and hoisting himself up. He then followed in the taller’s footsteps as he opened the door for Yeonjun, shutting it behind the two before retreating to the living room couch.

It was quiet for a moment, Yeonjun watching as Soobin kicked his shoes off before sitting down beside him on the couch. It felt as if there was a box around Yeonjun, who sat up straight, hands folded neatly in his lap.

“You know you can relax, right?” Soobin’s voice made Yeonjun turn to look at him. “Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“No, not at all,” Yeonjun shook his head, tearing his hands apart to run a hand through his hair. “It’s just that I’m not super familiar with your house and feel like I’m not supposed to touch anything. You know that feeling?”

Soobin nodded and smiled. _Fuck,_ every time he smiled those dimples would glare into Yeonjun’s soul in a tantalizing manner, knowing how much they twisted his heart into a shambled mess. “Feel free to make yourself at home.”

“Okay,” Yeonjun said quietly, slipping his shoes off before feeling himself loosen up. Oh, how he hated feeling so vulnerable in Soobin’s presence. The things the boy did to him were unexpected, but not necessarily unwelcome as it gave Yeonjun hope that he wasn’t some heartless creature who didn’t crave love and normal emotions that humans feel.

At that moment, Yeonjun let all his observations about Soobin flood his mind, careful not to say any out loud. He noticed how the introvert in Soobin did tend to shine. Based on such observations of him at school—Changbin would wrinkle his nose and call Yeonjun a stalker when he was caught doing so—Soobin seemed somewhat reserved, walls-up in defense. Yet, somehow he knew there was so much more to the boy than just shy smiles and small waves to his friends when passing through the halls. A boyish sense of mischief he held when around his friends, his passion for playing the guitar, the embarrassed grin that would cross his lips when he was complimented or teased.

But what was most astonishing to Yeonjun was how Soobin was like the glue of whatever this little band was. During the short duration of time Yeonjun had spent around the other four, Soobin’s assertiveness was showcased and it was obvious that he knew how to run shit. He knew how to uplift the others’ spirits or calm down occasional disputes or disagreements.

Yeonjun felt crazy when he looked back at all these things he noted about Soobin. Were such actions reciprocated? Or was Yeonjun still a big mystery to Soobin? Did he even care?

He was pulled out of his drowning thoughts for what felt like the tenth time that hour.

“So, maybe we should get to know each other more?” Soobin asked, the tone of his voice cautious. Desperate to shatter the unfamiliarity, but not wanting to be pushy enough to the point Yeonjun felt uncomfortable.

“Yeah,” Yeonjun nodded. “If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you known the others?”

“Wow, it’s been a while,” Soobin’s eyes drifted up to look at the ceiling. Yeonjun assumed scenes of meeting his friends were replaying in the younger’s mind before he spoke again.

“I met Beomgyu first, in middle school,” Soobin said. “I’m a year older than him, so I was in the grade above his but we actually ended up in the same guitar class that year. Back then, I was still starting to learn the basics of playing and Beomgyu was too and, boom, we just clicked. Eventually, we became best friends and would vent to each other and confide whatever dumb secrets middle schoolers kept with each other.”

“I see,” Yeonjun nodded. “That’s cute, actually. You guys have been friends for a while then.”

“Mhm. Four years.”

“Wow. You may continue now.” Yeonjun playfully gestured his hands towards Soobin in an attempt to lighten the mood, which was deemed successful when the other laughed.

“And then I met Taehyun. Honestly, he kinda intimidated me despite the fact he’s two grades younger than me but maybe it was just his aura at the time? Anyway, Beomgyu had met him first during his last year in middle school and introduced him to me, and he ended up being nice to be around. He and Beomgyu seemed to get along well and as they grew closer, I naturally became closer to Taehyun too. And then, wow, there were three of us.”

Yeonjun nodded along, watching Soobin’s face twist into many different expressions as he spoke. It was cute. But at this point, Yeonjun thought everything Soobin did was cute. He let the other continue.

“And finally, there’s Kai. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what made me so inclined to want to be his friend, but maybe it was the bubbly energy he always seemed to carry with him. We met when I was a junior and he was barely a freshman, we were taking the same elective that year, and he was just super nice and we became close really quick. Apparently, he had transferred from a school in America, so it was nice being there for him during a weird transitioning period in one’s life.”

“So he isn’t from here,” Yeonjun said. “I thought so when I first saw you two at the boba shop.”

“Yeah, but it’s cool hearing about his stories from his experiences in the states,” Soobin sighed happily, obviously content with the backstories his friendships with the others had to offer. “But yeah, that’s how I met everyone. And now you’re here.”

“Some guy bumped into you at a boba shop and eventually you found out he went to the same school as you and boom, he ends up being the fifth member of your band,” Yeonjun said, smiling when Soobin did.

“Yeah, and I can’t wait to learn more about you as we spend more time together,” Soobin sank into the couch cushions just as Yeonjun had, turning his head so their eyes met. 

“Me too,” Yeonjun closed his mouth, his lips settling into a content grin as he stared back at Soobin. “I can’t wait to learn more about you too.”

—

A sense of deja vu flooded Yeonjun’s senses as he felt Soobin’s hands gently brush his. _Fuck. Why can’t I just act normal?_

Yet this time, things were for real. Not like, for _real_ real. But the others were there and they were about to practice for the first time as five. Coming into all of this, Yeonjun wasn’t quite sure if his presence would’ve been well-received by the others, but they all seemed to be thrilled to have a new member. Which contributed much to Yeonjun’s relief and ease of nerves as he picked up the electric guitar Soobin lent him.

He looked up at Soobin, who carefully lifted his hands up and away from Yeonjun’s. His eyebrows raised a bit in concern, but Yeonjun shook his head to tell him nothing was wrong. Soobin nodded and turned back to the others, his attention tearing away from Yeonjun.

Yeonjun hated how selfish he felt when his gaze followed Soobin’s figure who was now approaching Beomgyu. The two exchanged smiles as Beomgyu playfully swatted Soobin’s hands away from the bass guitar he was holding, claiming he didn’t need the older’s help. Soobin’s smile was forgiving and he backed away from his best friend, the younger of the two nodding his head in appreciation anyway.

A reality check. That’s what this was. The universe reminding Yeonjun that not everything revolved around him. That even though he was the main character in his own story, the side characters led their own lives too. That the love interest talked to other people that weren’t Yeonjun. Yet no matter how many times Yeonjun tried to tell himself such a thing, he still felt a pang of jealousy in his chest when someone else made Soobin smile.

He forced himself out of the dispute his conscience was having when Soobin walked back to Yeonjun’s left, the humid garage growing warmer and warmer as the seconds ticked by. “So, everyone’s ready?” His soft voice spoke into the microphone before him.

A mantra of ‘yeah’s escaped everyone else’s mouths, and Yeonjun positioned the guitar pick pinched between his fingers up against the strings of the guitar he held. He felt his head nod up and down even though Soobin had asked the question thirty seconds ago and the moment was over. Maybe it was the hit Yeonjun took on Wooyoung’s vape before leaving taking a toll on his responsiveness. Yet he would rather feel relaxed than tense at a time like this. Hopefully his eyes weren’t noticeably red.

“So, what song are we playing?” Kai asked, purposely slouching in the chair he sat in, surrounded by the drums he sat before.

“What do you wanna play, Yeonjun?” Soobin asked, his eyes meeting Yeonjun’s.

“Hm? Me?” Yeonjun quickly ran a hand through his hair. “Um...Soobin taught me ‘I Loved You’. So we can play that.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Taehyun’s voice came from behind Yeonjun.

“Yeah, it’s a nice song to play,” Beomgyu said, adjusting the microphone before him. “I’m ready when you guys are.”

Kai nodded, wasting no time lifting his drumsticks, hitting them together thrice before starting off the song, lightly tapping the cymbals a couple of times. 

Yeonjun bit his lip, nearly hard enough to draw blood once Beomgyu started singing. The group’s instruments came together to harmonize perfectly. It was intimidating to Yeonjun, knowing that the other four had _way_ more experience than him. 

Yet as if his mind was read, Yeonjun felt a gaze bear into him and he looked over to meet Soobin’s eyes. They gleamed comfort under the garage light screwed into the ceiling above them. He opened his mouth, his lips silently asking “You okay?” Yeonjun nodded, flashing a somewhat convincing smile. Soobin smiled back, winking at Yeonjun before turning back to face the front.

Yeonjun felt his face grow hot as he averted his own gaze back to the garage door before him, forcing his eyes into the metal door in an attempt to think about anything but the fact that Choi Soobin had just winked at him.

Nearly caught off guard, Yeonjun realized it was his turn to sing. He felt as if eyes were burning into his back and sides from all directions. And although it _did_ bring a feeling of tenseness, Yeonjun couldn’t ignore the newfound adrenaline rushing through his body as he opened his mouth to sing.

_“Really, I loved you_

_That’s how much harder it is_

_I want to hate you_

_But I can’t so I hate you even more”_

The words were fluid with emotion, Yeonjun trying his best to focus on playing the right chords as he sang. When his verse was over, he felt himself lean back as if there were an invisible wall behind him as he strummed the strings of the guitar.

He looked out the corner of his eye to see Soobin, his eyes half-lidded as he played his guitar with as much passion and intensity as the energy of the room held. It sparked a sense of exhilaration in Yeonjun, looking at Soobin in astonishment. It was obvious he loved playing the guitar, zealousness clouding his eyes as he sang into the microphone.

_“Really I loved you_

_It’s because I loved you so much_

_Because I want to forget you but I can’t_

_That’s why I want to forget you.”_

The end of the song approached, Soobin’s voice echoing throughout the room as he sang the final chorus into the microphone. From there, the song faded to a close, the sounds of their instruments ebbing away gradually until it was over. Silence rang throughout the garage before cheers filled the empty space within seconds.

“That was good!” Kai stood up from where he sat at the drum set, clapping his hands together eagerly.

“Yeah, having Yeonjun really added to our sound,” Taehyun commented, stepping away from his keyboard.

“Really?” Yeonjun looked at the others, searching their eyes for any signs of disapproval. He didn’t seem to find any, their eyes glittering in admiration and pride.

“Yeah, you were really good,” an arm found its way around Yeonjun’s shoulders, his eyes meeting Soobin’s. “You picked everything up so quickly.”

Yeonjun smiled, staring at Soobin for a moment before turning his gaze to look at the others. “So, I did okay?”

“Yeah, you sure did,” Beomgyu said, the small smile on his lips making Yeonjun feel reassured. “You didn’t even seem that nervous.”

“Guess not,” Yeonjun nodded, cold air hitting the back of his neck when Soobin lifted his arm up and away. “Thanks, guys.”

“There’s no need to thank us,” Soobin’s gentle smile met Yeonjun’s gaze. “You’re one of us now.”

Yeonjun lifted an eyebrow in confusion and disbelief. “Already?”

“Yeah, you thought our band was cool and even made Soobin believe so,” Kai said, receiving a glare from said male. Yeonjun deemed it heartfelt when Kai just laughed.

Well, that was quick. It was nice though. Yeonjun felt as though out of him, Wooyoung, and Changbin, he was the one who didn’t have as many _close_ friends. Some days, Changbin would be with Hyunjin and his friends, and there were those days where Wooyoung would apologetically smile at the two when he told them he had planned on hanging out with San and his friends ever since the two had grown close. Yeonjun would always find himself stuck in the middle. Neither Changbin nor Wooyoung would dare leave him alone in the cafeteria or the school courtyard—they were best friends—yet Yeonjun still felt like a nuisance. A reason for Changbin to have to turn down Hyunjin or Jisung’s invite to sit with them at lunch, a deprivation of the time Wooyoung could’ve spent with San. 

And Yeonjun found it absolutely appalling that he would even have the _audacity_ to feel jealous when he would stare across the cafeteria on those days Wooyoung sat with San’s friends, exchanging an adoring smile to Yeosang or Mingi or whoever was seated there before sitting down.

Of course, Yeonjun had plenty of friends in his classes, but they were nothing but acquaintances who he wouldn’t dare to ask to hang out with outside of school. Small smiles and nods of acknowledgment when passing in the halls, nothing more.

So being so warmly welcomed in Soobin’s little circle of friends so quickly had really made Yeonjun’s heart jump in excitement. Although the little pit of loneliness in his stomach still sat in his gut like a stone, it seemed to lose some of its weight as his eyes met Soobin’s. 

If Yeonjun wanted to be optimistic, maybe Soobin would be the one who would fill that little emptiness in him. Maybe Yeonjun would be able to stop guilt-tripping himself over being so selfish despite living such an ideal life. Maybe Yeonjun could finally _truly_ be happy; the envy that constantly coursed in his veins would finally cease to exist.

Fuck, whatever was in Wooyoung’s pen earlier was getting to Yeonjun. Another hit would’ve been nice. Maybe his mind would’ve been too cloudy to even be thinking such thoughts.

“Yeonjun?” it was Soobin’s voice that dragged him back to the garage, back to reality, the weight of the guitar pressing the strap deeper into his shoulder.

“Hm?” his eyes widened, Yeonjun rapidly blinking in an attempt to make them look less red if they even did.

“Oh, you were just looking at me funny,” Soobin smiled, cherry red dusting his cheeks as he spoke. “I didn’t do anything, right?”

“No, no, I’m fine,” Yeonjun smiled instinctively. “I just got lost in thought.”

Soobin nodded, reaching over to remove the guitar strap off his shoulder, setting his guitar down against the wall. Yeonjun shifted his gaze away, pressing a hand to his forehead in frustration. There was something seriously wrong with him. He contemplated texting Wooyoung to pick him up to spend the rest of the afternoon taking hits until they were high out of their minds and passed out on Yeonjun’s bed. He decided against it when he remembered Wooyoung leaving school today hand-in-hand with San. 

So Yeonjun decided to walk himself home, unable to handle Soobin’s suffocating presence. With a swift tap on Soobin’s shoulder, Yeonjun quickly told him he was leaving. He earned a few sighs of disappointment from the others as they didn’t want him to leave so soon, but the heat trapped in the garage was seeping into Yeonjun’s clothes and making them uncomfortably stick to his chest. 

Soobin let Yeonjun go, a gentle smile of understanding crossing his lips as he waved him goodbye. _Fuck._

Yeonjun bid his final farewell before shutting the garage door closed behind him and making his way to Soobin’s front door. The whiff of fresh air Yeonjun received after opening the door hit him as the cool breeze met his face. 

Deep down inside, he knew that the real reason he felt so hot in that garage was because of Soobin. But no one needed to know that.

—

“So, you’re saying you wanna take me to that boba place that we first saw each other at?” Soobin cocked an eyebrow up.

“Yep, that’s what I’m saying,” Yeonjun nodded his head. Here he was, feet shifting side to side in anticipation as the two stood in the once unfamiliar hallway near the back of the school where Soobin’s guitar class was. Yeonjun had made it a habit to go there at least twice a week or whenever he planned on going to Soobin’s place after school.

“Well, I’m down then,” Soobin said. “It’s kind of out of nowhere, isn’t it?”

“Yes, you can say it is,” Yeonjun looked up at Soobin, his overly confident eyes meeting the other’s. “But, since I’m a part of your guys’ little band I feel like we should hang out more? Besides just being at your place.”

“Ahh, I see,” Soobin nodded, gripping at the backpack strap on his shoulder, the other hanging in the air as if he were in too much of a rush to put both straps on properly. “Then let’s get going?”

And so the two went to the tidy little shop again, opening the glass doors upon arrival. They had walked together, Yeonjun making many advances towards small talk, Soobin responding and countering with his own. The warmth in Yeonjun’s chest didn’t go unnoticed, but he still bit his tongue before saying something he would regret within two seconds. 

After Yeonjun ordered fresh honey milk and Soobin ordered matcha milk tea, the two carried their drinks to the long table that offered a view of the outside. They sat down beside each other, Yeonjun letting his eyes wander outside. The shop was near the edge of a nearby mall, the large window serving a view of the small planters of vibrant flowers dotted around the edge of the sidewalk outside. It was bright, the late spring sun beaming through the fluffy clouds looking down at Yeonjun and Soobin through the window. 

“So, what’d you wanna talk about?” Soobin broke the silence first.

Yeonjun let his elbow rest on the table in front of them, leaning forward as he took a sip of his honey milk. “You know, I just kinda wanted to spend time with you.”

“Really?” Soobin sounded astonished. “Are we really that close already?”

“Not necessarily,” Yeonjun swung his legs over in the chair to face the other. “But I just wanna make more advances in the friendship we have. I need more close friends. Wooyoung and Changbin have so many I feel like the odd one out sometimes.”

Soobin’s lips formed a small ‘o’ before he took a sip of his milk tea. “I see. They’re your friends I’m assuming?”

“Mhm,” Yeonjun hummed. “And I fucking love them to death. It’s just kinda annoying because Changbin’s always had other friends and Wooyoung has a boyfriend now.” He tried to emphasize the word ‘boyfriend’. It either went unnoticed or ignored by Soobin. It was worth a try.

“Well, hopefully, the others and I can make up for that,” Soobin said. “You can hang out with us at lunch whenever if you want.”

Yeonjun would be lying if he said he was ungrateful for the offer. That was exactly what he wanted in a way. “Are you sure? I won’t be intruding on your guys’ like, space, or anything?”

“Nope. I mean it’s nice for the four of us to just sit at our own little table, but a little company won’t hurt,” Soobin swirled the drink in his hand. Yeonjun noticed two out of the five fingers on his hand had a fresh coat of black nail polish. Hot.

Yeonjun nodded slowly, meeting Soobin’s eyes again. “Do they like me?”

“The others? Yeah, they do.”

“Are you sure or are you just saying that?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Yeonjun,” Soobin said, his upturned lips cracking into a smile. “They’re actually happy someone appreciates the little band we formed. Of course they like you.”

“Okay, good,” Yeonjun sighed in relief. “Are we going to your place after this?”

“If you want,” Soobin said, taking his phone out of his pocket to check the time. Something else slipped out of his pocket and clattered onto the floor. He quickly swooped down and picked it up, placing it onto the table between the two of them.

“You vape?” Yeonjun asked, eyeing the all-too-familiar puff bar sitting atop the table.

“Oh, yeah,” Soobin nervously laughed, reaching to stuff it back into his pocket before Yeonjun stopped him.

“You like cherry? That shit slaps,” Yeonjun said, slightly surprised. It wasn’t necessarily something to be excited over, but at least they shared a common interest.

“Oh, yeah, I do,” Soobin relaxed a bit, looking at Yeonjun. “You vape too?”

“It’s unhealthy, but yeah. I don’t have my own but I use my friends’ all the time.”

“Really? Based on how shocked you seemed, I would imagine you don’t vape at all.”

Yeonjun’s jaw dropped slightly at the statement before realizing that Soobin was probably right. “You know, I haven’t bought one since I was afraid of getting addicted. But now I treat Wooyoung’s like my own.”

Soobin laughed, staring at his now empty cup. “Well, we can go back to my place and take a few hits there, yeah?”

“Really?” Yeonjun probably sounded like a child, but he didn’t mind. Soobin was literally _offering_ to get high with Yeonjun. It was like his mind was read. “I’m so fucking down.”

“I don’t think the others are coming over today so it’ll be just the two of us,” Soobin said, standing up and pushing the chair in.

Yeonjun nodded, getting up while trying to hide how ecstatic he was. “Okay, let’s go!”

—

After taking a step into the garage and nearly melting on the spot thanks to the heat from outside trapping itself inside the confined space, Soobin had suggested that they went to his bedroom instead. Yeonjun went along with it since, at this point, he was way too elated to be spending more time with Soobin to say no to anything.

So there Yeonjun sat, his hands pressed down onto Soobin’s bed behind him so he could lean back. His gaze followed Soobin’s figure, who was opening one of the drawers in the desk sitting to the right of the bed.

“Do you have a favorite flavor?” Soobin asked, back facing Yeonjun as he continued to rummage through his drawer.

“I mean, I usually take whatever’s offered, but I do like watermelon the most,” Yeonjun said, his feet dangling as they hung off Soobin’s bed. Silence filled the air between them before Soobin threw something over his shoulder, shutting the drawer right after.

Yeonjun looked down at the object Soobin had thrown onto the space on the bed beside him. He recognized it immediately, picking up a pink puff bar with the words _watermelon puff_ printed on the small device.

“It’s yours now.”

“You don’t have to,” Yeonjun looked up at the other.

“It’s fine, I have others anyway,” Soobin sighed, settling down next on the bed about a foot away from Yeonjun. “You don’t even have one.”

Yeonjun slumped his shoulders in defeat, bowing his head in gratitude before putting the puff to his lips.

The next few moments were spent in deafening silence as the two took hits from their respectable pens, the strong candied scent of the vapors filling Soobin’s bedroom. The taste of watermelon was prominent on Yeonjun’s tongue as he blew out another cloud of smoke.

“Yeonjun,” Soobin spoke first.

“Hm?”

“Why’re you so nice to me?”

That was a good question. Yeonjun didn’t answer for a minute as his mind churned. He was nice to Soobin because he was interested in him. But he couldn’t just _say_ that, it was too risky. He opened his mouth to answer finally. “Because I think you’re cool.”

A laugh of disbelief escaped Soobin’s lips, the sound of it echoing across the room and hitting Yeonjun in the face. “Me? _Cool?_ Ha!”

“You don’t think so?”

“No? I’m literally an introvert who plays music with his friends in a garage and vapes to relieve stress.”

“That makes you like, the coolest person ever,” Yeonjun said. “You’re literally the definition of cool. You formed a band in your garage with your friends and play good-ass music. If that isn’t cool, then I dunno what is.”

“You think so?” Soobin asked, genuine disbelief tainting his voice. 

“Yeah, I sure as fuck do. Why’d you think I accepted your invitation to join? Because I think you’re cool. That’s why I wanna be friends.”

Soobin smiled and looked down before taking another hit. He then lifted his gaze to look at Yeonjun and stuck the red bar in front of the other. “Want some? You said you like cherry.”

Yeonjun nodded, pursing his lips so Soobin could place the pen to them. With the press of a button and a quick inhale, the cherry-flavored vapor traveled straight to his lungs, Soobin’s grip on the pen not faltering until Yeonjun pulled away to exhale. 

Cherry had always been intoxicatingly sweet to Yeonjun. Maybe Soobin was just as sweet of a person. Or even sweeter.

“Why do you vape?” Soobin asked out of nowhere.

Yeonjun sighed, daring to scoot closer to Soobin before resting the side of his head on top of the other’s shoulder. Soobin looked at him in confusion for a moment before relaxing and shrugging it off as if he didn’t mind. 

“You know, I wanted to be cool,” Yeonjun laughed. “Sophomore year, Wooyoung came up to me all excited over something and told me that one of Changbin’s friends started working at a vape shop. Changbin had given Wooyoung one of the many pens his friend sold and Wooyoung was so excited to show me. I took a hit and wow, the rejuvenating feeling had me hooked from the beginning.”

Soobin nodded, his eyes looking into Yeonjun’s with attentiveness as he did so. “So you do it recreationally?”

“Yeah, to feel happy I guess,” Yeonjun smiled as he averted his gaze from Soobin’s. “Because being a teenager is _so_ hard.” The statement was supposed to be sarcastic, but Soobin seemed to hear the hint of seriousness in the other’s voice.

“I get it,” Soobin sighed. “It helps me relieve stress. Calms down my nerves when they get out of hand.”

“Oh?” The tone of Yeonjun’s voice became curious. “So you think life is stressful too?”

An affirmative hum came from Soobin, who carefully let the side of his head rest against the top of Yeonjun’s. The older of the two gulped, eyes widening before relaxing again.

“You know, sometimes I feel stupid.”

“Why is that?”

Yeonjun took another hit before speaking. “I feel selfish. Like all the fucking time. I have so fucking much—lenient parents, two best friends, basic necessities to literally live—but I still feel like shit at the end of the day.”

The warmth of Soobin’s head vanished from the top of Yeonjun’s, making the other internally frown. He too decided to lift his own head off of the other’s shoulder, looking into his eyes.

“And why do you feel like shit?”

Right there. Another reason for Yeonjun to like Soobin. He didn’t pity Yeonjun; he didn’t give some fake ‘you shouldn’t feel that way about yourself’ bullshit. He wanted to understand what Yeonjun was feeling. That was something refreshing to appreciate.

“I feel like shit because I’m fucking lonely. And all I do is sulk about it and vape to make myself feel better,” Yeonjun crossed his arms, a smile crossing his lips again. He seemed to smile or laugh whenever he was nervous or talking about something personal. Soobin didn’t seem to mind. “And those are such b.s. reasons. It’s like, I have no reason to feel sad but I just do.”

Soobin noticeably frowned, but it wasn’t one of disapproval. It’s like he cared about Yeonjun. And what the hell did Yeonjun do to earn Soobin’s care?

“That’s okay,” Soobin said quietly, playing with the puff bar in his hand. “You don’t always have to have a reason to feel sad.”

Yeonjun blinked, unsure as to how he was supposed to respond. Luckily, Soobin continued.

“I used to feel the same way. Like, I have a shitload of great things in my life, but it didn’t stop me from feeling down. Maybe it was stress, or exhaustion, or just some weird combination of the two. It was something I couldn’t put my finger on either. I guess I just learned to face my inner demons or whatever and realize that I should change the way I live,” Soobin said. “I try my best to focus on the positives, but it’s hard to always do so when bad things happen.”

Yeonjun nodded slowly. “Thanks. For trying to understand.”

Soobin smiled, the dimples in his cheeks staring right at Yeonjun as he did so. “Of course. We all feel some shitty emotions. And I care about you, Yeonjun.”

 _Fuck_. Yeonjun was at a loss for words for a moment. Soobin _did_ care about him. _Fuck, fuck, fuck._

On an impulse, Yeonjun opened his mouth and spoke. “Soobin, can you hug me?”

He immediately braced himself for the cold, harsh rejection he was expecting to receive. Damn the sweet watermelon clouding his mind and making it hazy. Maybe he’d forget about all this when he was no longer high.

“Yeah, I can hug you.”

What?

Yeonjun’s face probably held some kind of shocked expression as Soobin laughed before slipping his arms around the other’s body, pulling him close.

Yeonjun returned the embrace, his arms snaking around the back of Soobin’s neck. He exhaled, melting into the hug as he let his eyes flutter closed. He really hoped Soobin didn’t mind the long duration of the hug, Yeonjun latching onto him for another minute before pulling back and away. 

“Sorry, it was really random,” Yeonjun sheepishly smiled, missing the warmth of Soobin’s long arms.

“No, don’t apologize. I kinda needed it too.”

Yeonjun just nodded, tearing his eyes away from Soobin’s to stare at the wall. One more deep glance into those eyes and Yeonjun would do something he’d regret. He took a long drag, the watermelon vapor growing more and more intoxicatingly sweet with each hit he took.

—

“And nothing happened afterward?”

“No Wooyoung, nothing happened afterward.” Yeonjun sighed before taking a sip out of the water bottle in his hand.

“Disappointing,” Wooyoung sighed, letting his elbows rest on the cafeteria table they were sitting at.

“I mean, he has his own puff bar now,” Changbin said. “Thanks to Soobin.”

“Yeonjun, he has to be interested at least a _little_ ,” Wooyoung picked up his pair of reusable chopsticks. “Like Changbin said, he gave you your favorite puff flavor. And then he proceeded to get high with you.”

“And then gave you life advice that you felt was really genuine,” Changbin added, frowning in dissatisfaction as he watched Wooyoung pick at his food instead of actually eating it.

“I mean, yeah,” Yeonjun tapped his fingers against the table. “But-”

“What if he’s just being nice?” Wooyoung muttered, glaring when Changbin snatched the chopsticks out of his hands and quickly picked up a clump of Wooyoung’s rice. “What the fuck?”

“Bitch, stop wasting your fucking food,” Changbin scoffed before turning to look at Yeonjun. “Soobin is a nice person, but I don’t think he goes to such lengths he did with you to someone he’s just an acquaintance with. He has to be emotionally invested in you in some kinda way.”

“Exactly, he let you in his band. And then got high with you.” Wooyoung smiled at Yeonjun before taking his chopsticks back from Changbin after the other ate the rice he stole. “He likes you.”

“If you say so,” Yeonjun’s tone was reluctant but he still flashed Wooyoung a quick smile back to keep him at bay. They were talking about him _way_ too much.

“Anyway, do you guys play for people?” Changbin asked, changing the subject somewhat. It was still about Soobin, but the episode in his bedroom seemed to no longer be the topic spoken upon. “You know, since you’re like a band.”

Yeonjun shook his head. “No. It seems like a nice idea though.”

“You guys should, you can make money that way,” Wooyoung said, being sure to throw a glance at Changbin when he took a bite of his rice.

“Yeah, and a lot of people would wanna hear it too,” Changbin nodded. “All the indie kids _and_ the wannabe-indie kids would love it.”

“And if you guys play Day6 songs, then the people who like sad love songs would love it too,” Wooyoung’s eyes lit up. “That’s like, a huge demographic.”

“You guys are right,” Yeonjun nodded, the excitement in Wooyoung and even Changbin’s eyes starting to reflect on his own. “Oh my god, we’d be rich.”

“Exactly,” Wooyoung said. “You guys just need to advertise or something.”

“But I dunno if Soobin would like the idea,” Yeonjun frowned, remembering how flustered Soobin was when Kai had told him about the band for the first time.

“He’ll love it. Just tell him about the money,” Wooyoung said.

“Yeah, and if he’s really passionate about it, then he’d be able to get over his nerves or whatever,” Changbin added. “ _And_ you guys will get to spend more time together.”

Yeonjun slowly nodded, taking everything in as Wooyoung and Changbin high-fived, clearly over the little rice fiasco. “You guys are right. We’ll just need to figure out how to get gigs or something.”

“You know, I might have one for you,” Changbin said, raising eyebrows around the table at the sudden offer. “Depends on how quickly you’ll be able to tell Soobin about this.”

“Continue,” Yeonjun took another sip of water, Wooyoung clinging onto his arm in anticipation.

“You know Hwang Hyunjin, right?”

“Your hot friend that's in your chem class?” Wooyoung said, smiling playfully before Yeonjun slapped his arm.

“Yeah, my ‘hot’ friend who you should _not_ be interested in since you have a boyfriend, Wooyoung,” Changbin rolled his eyes. “And so does he.”

“He’s dating Kim Seungmin, right?” Yeonjun asked, trying to remember Changbin’s other circle of friends.

“Yep,” Changbin said. “Actually, it’s gonna be their one-year anniversary next Friday and Hyunjin wants to surprise Seungmin but doesn’t know how to. Coincidentally, Seungmin has this massive obsession with Day6. So if you put two and two together…” his voice trailed off as he looked at Yeonjun expectantly.

“You’re saying we should play something for them?” Yeonjun said slowly, Changbin’s words articulating into a grand scheme. “Wait, that would be so cute.”

“They’re so in love it’s sickening,” Changbin crinkled his nose. “But Hyunjin expects me to have a solution for every one of his problems just because I let him borrow my chem notes. I just don’t give two shits about his love life.”

“You still came up with a good fucking solution though,” Wooyoung piped in. “That’s literally such a good idea. Having a band playing Day6 songs for you as you celebrate a huge fucking feat in high school, being in a relationship with the same person for an entire year. Maybe you should solve my life problems too, Changbin.”

“No thanks,” Changbin flashed a pained smile, earning a pout from Wooyoung. “But yeah, you can negotiate with Soobin and the others if you’re interested. Lemme know asap so I can tell Hyunjin if you guys end up deciding to do this.”

Yeonjun nodded, opening his mouth to reply when the bell suddenly rang overhead, indicating the end of lunch. The three stood up, exchanging farewells and promises to continue the conversation when they had the opportunity to. Yeonjun was last to leave the table as San swung by to pick up Wooyoung and Changbin had to meet up with Hyunjin as they shared the next class.

Yeonjun smiled to himself as he picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. Their band playing for others? It was definitely something Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Kai wouldn’t be opposed to based on what Yeonjun had seen. All he needed to do was convince Soobin that this was a great idea and they’d be able to reap the rewards these gigs had to offer.

—

Yeonjun’s hands shrieked in protest when he let the palms of them sink onto the back of Soobin’s car, the hot metal burning them as he leaned back to look up at the sky above him. They eventually grew accustomed to the heat of the car’s surface, despite the scorching sun up above. 

Yeonjun hadn’t necessarily planned on spending the afternoon with Soobin and his friends. Yet here he was in a mostly empty parking lot, gaze following Kai’s figure as he dropped his skateboard down to the ground before stepping onto it. He rode it along the sidewalk not far from where Yeonjun stood, earning tentative eyes from Beomgyu and Taehyun who acted as if they were judging Kai’s form as he rolled along the flat cement. 

Soobin stood beside Yeonjun, not necessarily sitting on the hood of the car, but more so leaning against it similarly to the other. They watched the other three from afar, not finding the energy nor motivation to join them. 

Soobin had offered for Yeonjun to hang out with them today, and the five of them had all agreed on going to the park after Kai insisted that he wanted to ride his skateboard again. Taehyun made him promise he’d let him ride it too and soon enough, they had driven to the nearby park together, Yeonjun wedged between Beomgyu and Taehyun in the back.

Soobin let out a rather quiet laugh before looking down at the faded asphalt they were standing on. Taehyun’s demands to let him ride the skateboard next were heard across the street before Kai hopped off the skateboard and let it roll in the other’s direction.

“Are you bored?” Soobin suddenly asked.

Yeonjun lifted his head up to look at him. “No, why?”

“‘Cause I dragged you over here with them and now we’re sitting here in the parking lot doing nothing,” Soobin shrugged, turning his head to stare back at the other.

“It’s fine,” Yeonjun said. “It’s not like I had anything better to do.”

Soobin nodded, wordlessly turning his gaze back to the other three. Yeonjun did the same, and this time Beomgyu was the one atop the skateboard, teeth grit in concentration as he attempted to balance. Kai and Taehyun were close behind, stepping along each side of him just in case he were to fall.

“Do you wanna go for a drive with me?” Soobin spoke again.

“What?”

“Do you want to go for a drive with me?” Soobin spoke slowly, enunciating each word.

Yeonjun laughed, running a hand through his hair. “Are you being serious?”

“If I wasn’t then I wouldn’t have offered.”

“With the others?”

“It can be just us two if you want.”

Yeonjun’s heart stopped, jaw dropping before he swiftly shut his mouth in hopes it wasn’t obvious he was in shock because of Soobin’s proposition. “I mean, if you’re okay with it.”

“You seem oddly caught off-guard after I said that,” Soobin’s tone of voice showed that he _did_ in fact recognize Yeonjun’s obvious shock at the offer. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“I swear to God, I would love to,” Yeonjun rolled his eyes before playfully shoving Soobin’s arm. “And no, I wasn’t ‘caught off-guard’. Just... surprised at the sudden suggestion.”

“I see,” Soobin smiled as he rubbed his arm where Yeonjun had hit him, before turning to face the others. “Hey! Yeonjun and I are gonna go for a drive. We’ll be back in an hour!”

“You’re leaving us?” Kai’s voice rang throughout the air, a teasing lilt betraying the pout playing on his lips.

“Yeah, we’ll be back soon though!” Soobin yelled back, rolling his eyes as Beomgyu noticeably nudged Taehyun in the side before the two shared a knowing smile.

“Try to have fun without us,” Beomgyu laughed, winking at the two before hopping back onto the skateboard, earning wide eyes and cautious hands surrounding him from Taehyun and Kai.

“Don’t mind them,” Soobin said, pushing himself off the car before walking to the door and opening it. “Hop in.”

Yeonjun nodded, reassuring Soobin that he wasn’t bothered by the youngers’ antics and rather found them endearing. He walked to the passenger side of the car, opening the door and stepping in.

Soobin’s car smelled remarkably like cherry. Yeonjun hadn’t seemed to notice it sitting in the back, but the fragrance was strong sitting in the front. It smelled faintly of the cherry puff bar sitting in the cupholder between them so Yeonjun just assumed Soobin smoked in here.

The sun burned through the window, blinding Yeonjun as Soobin pulled out of the parking spot and zoomed out of the barren lot. He lifted a hand to shield his eyes before looking forward at the road before them. Soobin was driving a bit fast for the relatively residential area they were driving through, but Yeonjun didn’t seem to mind as he rolled his window and let the breeze ruffle his unmistakably blonde hair.

Upon pulling up to a stoplight after a few turns toward the main road, Soobin swiftly pulled his phone and quickly opened up Spotify. Yeonjun’s eyes widened as he watched the other quickly scroll through his library before pressing on a playlist and letting it shuffle. Soobin quickly shoved his phone back into his pocket before smiling at Yeonjun, who just gave him a brief glance of disapproval, no ill-intent behind the gesture.

An unfamiliar instrumental filled the car as the song started, the song foreign to Yeonjun’s ears. Soobin’s taste in music certainly seemed to contrast Yeonjun’s greatly, yet he wasn’t mad at what he was hearing.

“What song is this?” Yeonjun asked, unfamiliar to the rich vocals filling the car, seemingly coming from a female singer. The words were in English. Yeonjun tried his best to understand within the limitations of the common phrases he knew.

“The Weekend by SZA,” Soobin said, eyes not tearing from the road as he pressed the gas pedal harder. “A nice song to drive to. And listen to.”

Yeonjun nodded, sinking into the leather passenger seat as he continued to gaze out the window. He felt his surroundings grow distant and his senses enhanced as he felt as though he were sinking into the music.

Soobin wasn’t wrong when about the song sounding nice when driving. Yeonjun smiled to himself when he heard Soobin hum along to the song as he drove, continuing to stare out the window and watch everything they passed turn to a blur thanks to the speed of the car.

“I like it.”

“The song?”

“Mhm.”

“What do you listen to? It seems like we have very different music tastes.” Soobin tapped his finger along the steering wheel as he spoke.

“Mostly rappers, hip hop, stuff like that,” Yeonjun said. “But I like this too.”

Soobin nodded, upturned lips becoming a smile as he turned a corner. “Yeah, we’re super different. But you know, hip hop isn’t bad either. I can listen to it if I’m in the right mood.”

Yeonjun smiled back, rolling his window back up as the breeze was now growing overwhelming and feeling more like a slap in the face. “Anyway, where are we going?”

“To a beach,” Soobin said. “Because why the fuck not?”

“Really? Without the others?” Yeonjun couldn’t help but feel shocked as he sat up in the seat.

“Yeah, they’d just splash us if I brought them,” Soobin laughed.

“But like, you’re willing to go to the beach alone. With me?”

“Yeah, I’d love to spend more time with you. We can get high too.”

“Wow, I’m certainly flattered, to say the least,” Yeonjun brought a hand up to his chest, hoping to suppress the rapid heartbeat pounding in his chest.

“Of course, you’re nice to be around, Yeonjun.”

 _Fuck._ One more compliment and Yeonjun would just smash his lips against Soobin’s right then and there. “You are too, Soobin.” His teeth were grit to repress the tense fondness in his voice. “This’ll be nice.”

“I’m sure it will,” Soobin said. 

As if it were queued to, the song ended momentarily after he closed his mouth. The outro of the song seemed to sound like it was sampled from somewhere, a sudden contrast from the rest of the song filling the car before the song faded and eventually dissolved into the quietness between the two as Soobin continued to tap his fingers against the steering wheel.

Soon enough, the car had reached the end of the road ahead of them, having no option but to turn as the long expanse of sand splayed out before them. The beach offered a view of the mid-afternoon sun’s rays gleaming blindingly over the waves of the ocean ahead. Yeonjun’s mouth fell into a visible ‘o’, realizing how long it had been since he last went to the beach. It had been about a couple of years, as it were either too cold or the news reports were full of cautions of high tides and stingray warnings. 

Soobin turned left, forcing Yeonjun to turn his head to the side so he could continue to appreciate the seascape before him. The little bumps and ripples in the sand flew by as the car continued down the road before it had finally turned into a small parking lot dotted with a few other cars. It was a Thursday afternoon, so the beach wasn’t crowded to its fullest extent.

The car slowed to a stop in one of the spots, the hum of the engine slowly fading to silence as Soobin stepped on the parking brake. Yeonjun looked down to find himself wearing the many layers of his school uniform. “This isn’t necessarily what you’re supposed to wear to the beach.” His lips were a thin line as he looked at Soobin to see he was wearing the same outfit.

“I have an extra shirt and pair of shorts in the trunk,” Soobin said before reaching over to open the car door to step out. Yeonjun followed suit, shutting the passenger carefully behind him. The trunk popped open with the press of a button on the key, initiating Soobin to walk around the car and rummage through the contents of the trunk. Yeonjun peeked over his shoulder, finding nothing much in the trunk. Soobin and Yeonjun’s backpacks, a few reusable bags, a pair of towels, and sure enough, two neat piles of clothes near the back. The taller of the two grabbed them, handing one of the bundles to Yeonjun.

After changing in the bathroom (in their own respective stalls) and placing their freshly folded uniforms into the trunk, they were finally set to step onto the beach, towels in hand.

Yeonjun carefully started to walk on the sand, Soobin falling beside him. He tried his best to get as little sand under his feet as possible but ended up saying “fuck it” fifteen steps in and started running in the cheap flip flops Soobin lent him. The other seemed surprised by Yeonjun’s sudden burst of energy before smiling and chasing after him, the sound of waves lapping onto the shore growing louder and louder with each step.

Yeonjun finally slowed to a stop, his feet protesting as the plastic straps on the flip flops started rubbing against his skin painfully. He inwardly cursed as he expected the formation of a fresh blister to appear on his feet within the next hour. Soobin stopped beside him not long after, breathlessly huffing as he placed his hands on his knees to regain composure.

“Fuck, I haven’t ran in forever,” Soobin gasped, slowly standing up straight and dropping the towels onto the sand. His chest unmistakenly rose and fell beneath his white t-shirt. Yeonjun resisted the urge to put his hand to the other’s chest to feel his rapid heartbeat beneath the palm of his hand.

“I can tell,” Yeonjun laughed, Soobin shooting him a quick glare. The crinkles sitting at the corners of his eyes as his lips drew into a small smile told him that he wasn’t mad.

Neither spoke for a moment, Yeonjun’s ears filling with nothing but their breaths and the waves before them. He felt free in a way, standing in Soobin’s t-shirt that stood loosely atop his shoulders and trailed down past his hips. 

“You won’t be mad if I get your shirt wet, right?” Yeonjun asked.

“Of course not. I wouldn’t have let you wear it if I didn’t want you to,” Soobin said.

“You had two sets of extra clothes. Were you planning on going with someone else?”

The other didn’t say anything for a moment, eyes following the nearest wave as it dissolved and dared to touch the tips of their toes.

“If you had declined then maybe,” Soobin said, squinting his eyes as he looked up at the bright blue sky. “I’d look a fool if I had two sets of clothes and only one person to wear them. That’s why I invited you to hang out today.”

“You were planning this all along?”

“Yeah,” Soobin smiled sheepishly, still avoiding Yeonjun’s gaze. “I wanted to get high and missed the beach. The others don’t vape or do anything like that and it would look kinda sad if I went here alone. You were my best option.”

Yeonjun slowly nodded, reaching around the pocket of the pair of shorts he was wearing. “So, I was your first priority?”

“If you wanna put it that way, then yeah.” Soobin’s gaze followed Yeonjun’s hand as he pulled out the familiar watermelon puff from the pair of shorts he had loaned to the other.

Yeonjun smiled at the ground before taking a hit. “You’re so cute, Soobin.” He wasn’t high, yet he still had the nerve to compliment the other.

“Shut up,” Soobin laughed, cheeks clouding pink as he turned to look to his right so Yeonjun was out of his field of vision.

Yeonjun cocked an eyebrow up, hope swelling in his chest at the younger’s reaction. Were Changbin and Wooyoung right? Before growing too wishful, he downed such thoughts.

“Forget what I said then,” he inhaled another sweet puff, bending down and tucking it in between one of the towels before suddenly stepping into the water. Initially, his feet protested against the icy water that lapped at his toes. Eventually, they settled and Yeonjun felt Soobin’s presence beside him, the scent of cherry that lingered in his car now passing through his nose as the other took a hit from his own puff bar.

By now, the cold water was a lovely contrast against the warm sun. Yeonjun wouldn’t be surprised if his cheeks were splotched red when he got home.

In the midst of his basking in all his glory beneath the sun, a harsh splatter of salty water hit Yeonjun’s face. He whipped his head to his right to glare at Soobin, who was bent over clutching his stomach, failing miserably at holding back his laugh.

“Oh, it’s on,” Yeonjun smiled devilishly at the other, kicking the water beneath him so it sprayed Soobin waist-down.

The taller boy was bent backward in pure, unfiltered laughter to the point that Yeonjun wouldn’t be surprised if the corners of Soobin’s eyes were dotted with tears. The older took this opportunity to dip his hands down into the water and scoop as much that was humanly possible. He flung the water towards Soobin, showering him in the clear water as the other tried to stop his hysterics.

“Hey!” Yeonjun tried to slap Soobin’s hands away as he scooped up water into his large hands and poured it atop the older’s head, drenching his blonde hair with the salty ocean water. All he received was a wide, dimpled smile in return.

“You literally kicked water at me! You definitely deserve it,” Soobin taunted, shielding his eyes from the sting of the saltwater Yeonjun splashed towards him.

The two kept this up for the next ten minutes, smacking water at each other until their arms grew numb and they were both drenched from head to toe. Soobin collapsed to the ground dramatically, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead as his body became a distorted, rippling image under the shallow water. “You win.”

Yeonjun pumped one of his fists into the air as if he were just announced the winner of some international boxing championship. Soobin laughed before he pushed himself up and out of the water. Yeonjun followed with a smile, cringing when the sand started to cover every part of his foot possible. It wasn’t long before he sat smack down in the middle of the sand, no longer caring for the sand that would take ages to wash off once he got home.

Soobin plopped down beside him, tucking his knees up to his chest. His gaze lay upon the horizon before them, just as it had earlier. Yeonjun decided to follow it, eyes landing on the distinct line separating the sky from the ocean. The cool breeze combatted the hot sun continuously beating down on them as it had been all day.

Suddenly, Yeonjun remembered what Changbin had told him at lunch earlier that day. Now would be the perfect opportunity to bring the possible gig up.

“Hey, Soobin?” he shifted his hand behind him in the sand to lean back further.

“Yeah?”

“So, you know how like, not too long ago we brought up the idea of playing for other people?”

Soobin gave an affirmative hum, prompting Yeonjun to continue.

“Well, earlier today Changbin offered me a possible gig that we could take on if you wanted to. It’d be next Friday,” Yeonjun looked down at the sand beneath them, not intent on making eye contact with Soobin. He wasn’t exactly sure why he was so nervous, so he picked up a small branch that had washed ashore to look at instead.

“Who’d we play for?”

“Do you know Hwang Hyunjin?”

“Yeah, he and Beomgyu are good friends,” Soobin said. “We’re playing for him?”

“Yeah, and Kim Seungmin, his boyfriend.” Yeonjun started swirling the twig into the sand beside him. “It’s their one-year anniversary next Friday and Seungmin loves Day6 so it makes sense. We can probably get money out of it too. Only if you want to though.”

“Well, do _you_ want to?” Soobin asked.

“Of course I do. But like, I’m asking you?”

“Then if you wanna do it, I’m happy with doing it.”

Yeonjun finally lifted his gaze up to look at Soobin. “Really?”

“Yeah. Why not? It seems cute.”

The biggest wave of relief washed over Yeonjun. “Oh my God, I dunno why but I was so nervous.” He pressed a hand to his chest as Soobin laughed.

“Why? I’m not intimidating, am I?”

“No, no,” Yeonjun shook his head. “I just thought you were gonna be super against it or something. Wooyoung brought up the idea about making money and thought it’d convince you enough but I wasn’t sure.”

“Oh, I see,” Soobin’s laughter died down and his lips settled into a soft grin. “I mean, the money sounds great, but I really just wanna do this for the sake of making others happy. I just wasn’t sure if you were ready to like, play for people.”

“Really?” Yeonjun’s eyes widened in shock. “I literally thought _you_ would be the one to be nervous about playing in front of others. You seemed kinda embarrassed about everything when Kai first mentioned the band in front of me.”

“Well, yeah,” Soobin straightened one of his legs in front of him, digging his heel into the sand. “But after I saw how much you loved hearing us play and the fact that you were willing to play with us without any prior experience kinda helped me overcome that fear.”

Yeonjun didn’t say anything for a second, taking what was said in. _He_ helped Soobin overcome that daunting fear? “So, like, I had an impact on you in a way?”

“Yeah, you could say that,” he brought his leg back up to his chest, leaving an oddly shallow hole in the sand where his heel had sat. “Anyway, I’m down. We should go back soon and tell the others.”

“Okay,” Yeonjun nodded. “It’ll take forever to wash all this sand off only using those shitty showers over by the bathroom.”

Soobin laughed, pressing his hands down into the sand before hoisting himself up. He stuck a grainy hand out to Yeonjun, who gladly took it.

—

The next week came and went, passing by much quicker than Yeonjun had expected it to. After the day at the beach with Soobin and getting high in his car before taking off, they had told Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Kai about the new gig. The three had eagerly agreed to accept it, celebrating their first-ever gig.

Yeonjun had spent most of his lunches that week with the other four, Wooyoung and Changbin giving him congratulatory pats on his back as if he were their child who had finally decided to step out of his comfort zone by pursuing an adequate social life. Changbin relayed the information to Hyunjin near the beginning of the week, earning Yeonjun appreciative glances and waves from the remarkably attractive male in the hallway, which he returned with a smile and a wave back.

Beomgyu especially seemed excited about the exchange, marveling about the entire history behind his friendship with Hyunjin during lunch on Monday. Taehyun and Kai just rolled their eyes, since most likely have heard the story countless times. Soobin was less obvious about his disinterest, simply eating his food while Yeonjun nodded along, happy to have seen the satisfaction sparkle in Beomgyu’s eyes as he had at least one person intrigued.

By Tuesday, they had decided what song they were going to play. They had only chosen one, as it wasn’t a concert, more so a solid four minutes of passionate singing.

“Where the sea sleeps”. It was the perfect song, as it seemed to encapsulate the essence of a loving bond. The desire for one another so strong that it felt like life wasn’t worth living without the other. Also, it was a Day6 song (of course), and although it was a unit song they were able to evenly divide up the parts.

And so Wednesday and Thursday were spent looking at the lyrics in an effort to memorize them. Yeonjun wasn’t sure as to whether he was supposed to feel happy or sad while singing, biting his lip in frustration as he raked his eyes over his laptop screen. It was a slower song, sounding somewhat longing as if searching for something that hadn’t been found in years. Yet by the end, the song felt much more uplifted, as if such worries were reassured and the longing had ebbed away. So he settled on somewhere in the middle, deciding to start off solemn and grow more and more joyful as he continued.

And with that, Friday came along and Yeonjun found himself in Soobin’s familiar garage for the fifth time that week. The sound of instruments being tuned filled the atmosphere, echoing off the confined space. By then, there were twenty more minutes until Hyunjin was expected to show up with Seungmin; twenty minutes until their first-ever “public” gig.

Yeonjun felt somewhat tense, unsure as to whether it was the pressure of sounding good or something completely unrelated to the performance. Everything seemed to stress him out nowadays. He had made sure to bring his watermelon puff with him, which now held a special place in his heart because of who he had received it from. In a way, it still felt like Soobin’s, but it also felt different from just borrowing Wooyoung’s.

Once finished with tuning his guitar, Yeonjun carefully set it down against one of the walls and walked across the garage to open the door that led to Soobin’s side yard. His departure went unnoticed for the most part, earning an understanding nod from Soobin when he dangled the puff bar between his fingers before stepping out. Yeonjun had basic human decency and decided it’d be best to not vape in the minimally-ventilated garage.

“Fuck.” Yeonjun leaned against the side of the house, wincing a bit when the stucco provided no cushion against his back whatsoever. He gazed up at the sky before bringing the puff up to his lips and inhaling. He waited a few seconds before blowing it all out, watching the new cloud of vapor dissolve into the air above him.

The clouds stared back down at him, a mixture of violet and red amongst the setting sun. Dotted across the orange sky, they watched Yeonjun take another hit, probably frowning in dissatisfaction as he let more chemicals disappear into the atmosphere they called home. 

It was weird to Yeonjun, foreign even, for him to be so on edge like this. What was even more perplexing was the fact that it wasn’t even about performing really; it was Soobin. You’d think he’d be overjoyed to have grown this close to him, but it also only seemed to stress Yeonjun out. Uncertainty was a terrible thing, and Yeonjun was afraid he was wasting all of his time just for Soobin to never reciprocate his feelings. The reassurance of his friends wasn’t enough to convince him that the tall boy liked him, because how could _they_ know?

After taking another shaky breath in, the side door opened quietly, causing Yeonjun to look over his shoulder before blowing out the watermelon vapor.

“You okay?” Soobin asked, carefully shutting the door behind him.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Yeonjun’s mind raced, heart pounding as he watched the other lean against the wall right beside him. “Just kinda nervous.”

“To be honest, I am too,” Soobin sighed, pulling his cherry puff out of his pocket. “But it’s whatever.”

Yeonjun nodded, focusing on evening out his breaths. “Are you scared?”

“Maybe not scared, but I just hope everything goes perfectly.”

“Are the others fine?”

Soobin laughed. “Of course, they’re more excited than nervous if anything. I envy them.”

“Me too,” Yeonjun slumped against the wall, watching Soobin take a hit. “We’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, we will,” Soobin said with a smile. “Are you sure you’re okay though?”

“Yeah, the real question is if _you’re_ the one ready?” Yeonjun turned his body to playfully poke Soobin’s chest with his index finger.

“Of course I am,” he laughed, gently swatting the other’s finger away. “Wanna swap?” He brought his puff bar to eye level, extending a hand out to Yeonjun.

“Sure.” He took Soobin’s puff and carefully placed his own into the palm of his hand. As he lifted the bar up to his lips, he prepared himself for the familiar sweet taste that he had learned to associate with Soobin. Cherry red sugary sweetness filled his senses as he took a breath in, letting the vapor travel to his lungs before blowing it out. Soobin did the same with Yeonjun’s puff, eyelids fluttering closed as he exhaled. The setting sun tinted everything orangish-pink with its rays, Soobin’s flawless skin carrying a similar color. Yeonjun watched as he opened his eyes and smiled at the other, handing him his puff back.

“I haven’t had watermelon in a while, I see why it’s your favorite.”

“Why?” Yeonjun carefully tucked the cherry puff into the pocket of Soobin’s pants.

“Because it reminds me of you.”

Every last breath inside of Yeonjun’s lungs stopped, his entire body freezing as if he were a jpeg image. His mind spiraled into a dizzy mess before it stopped producing any thoughts whatsoever. “What-”

“You guys have five minutes!” A new voice abruptly interrupted the two, the side door swung open to reveal Beomgyu standing in the doorway. “Did I interrupt something?”

“No, no, not at all!” Yeonjun shook his head, suddenly eager to have a new presence join them. “We should start heading back.”

“Shit, five minutes already?” Soobin asked, seemingly unfazed by the statement he made that nearly caused Yeonjun to shut down.

“Yeah, Hyunjin just texted me,” Beomgyu said, face suddenly illuminated by his phone screen as he checked to confirm. 

Following Beomgyu’s lead, Yeonjun and Soobin walked back into the garage. The huge metal door was now open, allowing a gentle breeze to swirl around in the newfound space above them. The sky had grown more pink than orange, the dark blue night sky slowly swallowing the warm colors up as each minute ticked by.

Kai and Taehyun were already ready, standing before their respective instruments. Yeonjun quickly slung the familiar guitar strap over his shoulder, running the song lyrics through his mind. He quickly looked at Soobin, who was pressing his fingers onto the fingerboard as if pretending to the form of the chords he needed to play. Although the song originally went without a guitar melody, Soobin had improvised a few chords and their progressions to incorporate to the sound, teaching Yeonjun everything in a rushed but adequate effort.

Five minutes seemed to have flown over Yeonjun’s head when the others stiffened into a ready position beside him. The indication of a pair of new voices rang throughout the air, growing closer and closer until the conversation between the two became audible.

“Hey, where even are we?”

“How many times do I have to tell you Seungmin, it’s a _surprise_?”

“Are you dumb? We’re in the middle of some random neighborhood. You’re _lost,_ Hyunjin.”

“Holy shit, it’s them,” Kai suddenly whispered from somewhere behind Yeonjun, stating the obvious.

“No shit, Sherlock.” Beomgyu earned a nasty glare from Kai for that comment.

“Guys, shut up,” Soobin whisper-yelled, too focused on what was about to come to look back and glare at them. The whispers stopped.

The voices were much closer now, and it wasn’t much longer before Yeonjun spotted the pair round the corner so that they were in view. He recognized Hyunjin and Seungmin almost immediately, the two holding hands as they approached the garage.

“Hyunjin, what the fuck is this?” Seungmin’s eyes landed upon the sight before him.

“The surprise,” Hyunjin stopped. “I would _never_ get lost.”

“Whatever.” The playful bitterness left Seungmin’s voice as he scanned his surroundings. “So, a band?”

“Mhm,” Hyunjin hummed in affirmation. “You’ll see.” Seungmin simply nodded in response, his calculating gaze looking at the five in expectancy.

Soobin took this as his cue to start speaking. “Uhm, hi guys! You might know some of us, and we’re just a group of friends who play music in my garage.” He spoke through a smile, most likely a way to cope with the nervousness that Yeonjun imagined was coursing through Soobin’s veins at that moment. “We received a special request to play for someone’s one-year anniversary, and it seems like the two of you are here on this lovely night together.”

Yeonjun bit his bottom lip as he let his guitar pick rest atop one of his strings, gently enough for no sound to be produced yet. The anticipation was killing him.

“And so, we’ve prepared a special song as we’ve been told one of you loves Day6,” Soobin said, letting one of his hands rest on his guitar’s fingerboard.

“You didn’t,” Seungmin whipped his head around to look at Hyunjin, shock in his eyes.

“I did,” the other sheepishly shrugged, a smile playing on his lips.

“So, here’s ‘Where the sea sleeps’, by Day6 Even of Day.” Soobin let his smile turn to a subtle grin as he took a breath in.

Everyone looked at Kai, who mouthed a brief “one, two, three” to set the rhythm before the song started.

At the beginning of the song, Yeonjun tried to focus on the various mental notes he had created while practicing. _Sound solemn, but not too sad. Convey emotion with your eyes, but don’t lose track of where you are in the song._

Beomgyu opened the song, eyes gleaming with pride as he opened his mouth to let sultry vocals escape his lips, capturing the nature of the song spot-on.

“ _May the day be calm_

_Or sometimes rocky_

_If only you’re here with me_

_Whatever day we meet_

_However the waves, I’ll hold on.”_

And so the next verse of the song and pre-chorus drifted by. With a quick breath, Yeonjun braced himself to strum the soft melody of the chorus as Soobin opened his mouth to sing. He could’ve sworn he had the capability to swoon on the spot upon hearing Soobin’s familiar voice.

_“Baby want you to_

_Stay with me_

_Don’t leave me_

_Until the rainstorm ends.”_

Soobin’s voice was breathy as he sang, not in a weak way, but in a way that conveyed the emotions emitted from the song. His voice effortlessly hit the rather high notes of the chorus, and Yeonjun dared to look up.

Soobin’s eyes were half-lidded as they always were when he sang, his nose scrunched ever so slightly as it always did. His eyebrows were knit in longing, as if he really were begging someone to stay with him, to never leave him. It made Yeonjun admire him even more, as the passion Soobin exuded was definitely appealing.

The next few verses came and went, Beomgyu and Taehyun alternating between the next few lines as Kai continued to keep the consistent beat of the song flowing.

Soon enough, it was Yeonjun’s turn to sing the chorus. He opened his mouth and took an inhale of air before singing.

Amidst the start of the verse, Yeonjun made the mistake of lifting his head to look up and away from his guitar. His gaze landed upon Hyunjin and Seungmin, the latter gaping at the scenery before him, a mixture of shock and delirious joy filling his expression. Their hands were neatly intertwined together as they had been since arriving, but it hadn’t seemed to hit Yeonjun until that exact moment.

The guitar pick between his fingers did not dare slip as Yeonjun continued to play, taking a breath before singing the next part of the chorus. His eyes did not stray away from Seungmin, whose eyes were shining under the stars as he smiled. The boy resembled an angel in a way, wielding the ability to have anyone crumble in adoration before him as if the stars dotted in the sky were meant to sit reflected amongst his pupils. It made sense as to why Hyunjin pursued him; they truly were a great match. Yeonjun grimaced at the internalized jealousy that started to creep into his chest. 

_“I need you_

_You need me_

_Please stand by my side_

_I want to be with you_

_To the place where the sea sleeps.”_

Yeonjun shouldn’t have acted so shockingly when Seungmin’s eyes met his, yet his eyes widened slightly when they did. He shut his mouth as the chorus ended and Taehyun took over the bridge. Yeonjun stared straight back at the boy, who had delicately placed the side of his head atop his boyfriend’s shoulder as his plush lips mouthed the words to the song. Those exact lips cracked into a smile as Seungmin’s gaze bore into the entirety of Yeonjun’s soul; at least, that’s what it felt like. The guitarist _knew_ it was a smile of appreciation, a smile telling him _“Thanks for playing a Day6 song on my first-anniversary_ ”. Yet Yeonjun couldn’t help but feel envious of the boy as he watched Hyunjin plant a feathery gentle kiss to the top of his head.

The song’s bridge came to a close, and upon taking a breath in preparation for the next verse a loud _bang!_ rang in the air miles away. Everyone within a ten feet radius of the garage seemed shocked, everyone but Hyunjin, whose face lit up in relief as he looked up at the night sky.

Yeonjun wasn’t sure what the source of the loud noise was until he looked up to see fireworks shoot up into the dark sky at the speed of light, bursting into various arrays of colors against the stars twinkling above them. As if the timing of the fireworks was perfectly synced with the song, Yeonjun sang the final chorus, his heart melting into a puddle at his feet when Soobin’s voice accompanied his own.

_“So stay with me_

_Don’t you leave me_

_Stay with me, don’t let go of my hand_

_When the serene morning comes_

_It’s going to be like a dream.”_

Time slowed as if this were some dramatic film and a camera was panning straight onto Yeonjun’s face as he sang the verse, heart swelling with unexplainable feelings as the honey-sweet realness of Soobin’s falsetto harmonized with him. The envy grew its vines around Yeonjun’s beating heart, urging him to watch Seungmin beam as he gazed into Hyunjin’s eyes, unmistakable exuberance radiating off of his figure. The fireworks continued to explode in the sky above them, painting out an entire scene that could've passed as one from a movie. 

The green-eyed-monster that had found its temporary home within Yeonjun’s chest then guided his gaze to his right, eyes landing upon Soobin. The tall boy’s lips were sealed shut in concentration, having sung all his lines for the rest of his song. He seemed to have caught Yeonjun’s look as his eyes averted from his guitar to meet the other’s.

It was everything he wanted; Soobin’s attention, the gaze his perfectly round eyes held, his upturned lips in clear view. Yeonjun wanted to be the center of his universe, such selfishness burrowing itself deep within his jealousy-filled veins. 

Yeonjun hated the egocentric mindset he had developed during the past few weeks, as he had spent his nights convincing himself that Soobin _did_ in fact return his feelings; telling himself Wooyoung and Changbin were right. Minutes were spent contemplating as to whether Yeonjun should just give in and confess already, or to conceal until he was _sure_ Soobin felt the same.

But as the song came to a close, their instruments fading until the silence was only accompanied by the invisible crickets that came outside on a late-spring night like today’s, Yeonjun felt his heart twist in desire as he watched Seungmin gaze up into Hyunjin’s eyes before leaning in for a kiss. Although he should’ve felt content by seeing the gap between their lips vanish, a sudden urge prodded at him inside, a revelation hitting him like the cool, late-spring breeze that accompanied the atmosphere.

Such envy had sprouted from Yeonjun’s self-absorbed pining, his yearning for Soobin finally slapping him hard in the face. Because as he watched Seungmin slowly pull away from the kiss, Hyunjin’s thumb gently running over the side of the other’s cheek, Yeonjun knew that that was exactly what he wanted.

Yeonjun wanted to be treated like the most beautiful person in the world. He wanted Soobin to trace small circles on his cheeks as if he were the most precious piece of fine china in the entire universe.

Seungmin’s presence suddenly appearing in front of Yeonjun was what pulled him out of his thoughts, a small grin settled upon the younger’s lips. One of his hands was still laced with Hyunjin’s as it had been the entire time, but the other was stuck out in front of him. Yeonjun looked down to find two bills worth 10,000 won each being held out to him, one of them crumpled messily in a ball while the other was neatly folded into even fourths.

“It’s not too much, but hopefully it’s enough to divide between the five of you,” Seungmin’s voice was much more fragile than it was earlier, a soothing nature complementing it as he spoke. “It was really lovely.”

“Wait, wait,” Hyunjin suddenly dug into one of the pockets in his cargo pants before pulling out a balled-up 5,000 won bill and placing it into Yeonjun’s hand to join the two bills Seungmin had given to him. Yeonjun was able to figure out who had given the crumpled 10,000 won bill just based on what Hyunjin had pulled out of his pocket. “I’ll give extra since it was my idea.”

“Thank you so much,” Yeonjun sounded uncharacteristically breathless, flashing a look of gratitude towards the two. He felt guilty for feeling so envious towards the pair, so he hoped his eyes would convey the appreciation he felt upon being handed the money.

“No, thank _you_!” Hyunjin laughed. “I would’ve been _fucked_ if you guys hadn’t gone along with Changbin’s idea.”

Yeonjun nodded, exchanging a quick bow with the pair before they went around the garage to briefly thank the others, Hyunjin and Beomgyu doing some kind of handshake Yeonjun assumed they had made years ago. The two finally finished their round, waving goodbye to the other five while giving their final “thank you!”s to the band. Right before turning the corner hand-in-hand, Seungmin met Yeonjun’s eyes again and winked before following Hyunjin’s lead around the corner and vanishing.

Whatever the gesture meant was for Yeonjun to ponder later as the others gathered around him to see their earnings.

“5,000 won each,” Kai commented. “We could get, boba or something with it.”

“Wow, we actually got paid to do this,” Beomgyu said. “Fucking cool! I knew Hyunjin would pull through.”

“Imagine how much more we could make if we did more gigs like this,” Taehyun added. “We’d be rich.”

“We would,” Soobin finally spoke, all heads turning to look at him. “That was pretty fun to be honest, even though it only lasted a little under ten minutes.”

“Yeah, but we really made their night,” Kai sighed happily. “They were so happy, it was sickening and really sweet at the same time.”

“They really must love each other,” Yeonjun blurted out, eyes not looking up from the bills that sat in his hand.

“Oh my God, they _do_ ,” Beomgyu rolled his eyes, taking an inhale before speaking again. “You know how fucking _long_ it took me to convince Hyunjin to admit his feelings to Seungmin? Too fucking long.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it did,” Taehyun mumbled. “You don’t have to tell us everything about you and-”

“Wow Taehyun, since you seem so intrigued by my story to feel the need to criticize it, why don’t I tell you the whole thing, detail-by-detail?” Beomgyu’s smirk was unmistakable when Taehyun and Kai groaned, the youngest playfully smacking Taehyun’s forearm as

payback for leading the two to fall victim to Beomgyu’s wrath. 

Soobin laughed before looking over to Yeonjun, who was surprised by the other feeling the sudden need to look at him.

“Uhm, hi?”

“Hey, you did great today,” Soobin smiled, placing a hand atop Yeonjun’s shoulder.

“Wait, really?”

“You know I’d never lie to you, Yeonjun.”

He wanted to melt under Soobin’s warm touch. It was comforting, his soft hand squeezing his shoulder gently. “Thanks, Soobin. You did amazing as always.”

An embarrassed laugh left Soobin’s mouth. “Thank you, Yeonjun.”

The other just nodded, eyes breaking contact with Soobin’s to look up at the sky. The fireworks had ceased a minute ago, smoke lingering in the air, slowly withering away into the atmosphere above.

“Fireworks, huh?” Soobin piped up beside him.

“Yeah. They really _do_ love each other.”

“You seem so caught up over their love. Are you jealous or something?”

“No!” Yeonjun raised his hands up in front of him in protest. “It’s just...what they have seems really nice.”

“You know, you’re right,” Soobin sighed. “One day, you’ll find that special someone though, so don’t worry.”

“Yeah, and you will too,” Yeonjun’s voice fizzled out at the end of that sentence, looking back at the other three, who were now bickering with each other as to whether Beomgyu should continue his story or not.

_But little do you know, you’re that special someone I want to be with._

—

A week had eagerly passed by since that night, and with it brought much joy and productiveness to the band.

Since Hwang Hyunjin was famously dubbed as one of the hottest guys on campus at their school, suddenly everyone’s interests piqued and eyes turned towards the band—which had yet to be named—in curiosity as to why the school’s power couple went to them for their one-year anniversary.

And so the five sat at lunch one day, discussing name possibilities for their band.

“Wait, so what the fuck are we supposed to be called? People can’t just refer to us as ‘those five guys who played for Hyunjin and Seungmin on their anniversary,” Kai frowned, tapping his finger against the water bottle he was holding.

“Right, it’s embarrassing,” Beomgyu rolled his eyes before picking up a clump of rice between his chopsticks and stuffing it into his mouth.

“And unprofessional,” Taehyun added.

“You guys are right, but what do we call ourselves?” Soobin sighed, chin placed in the palm of his hand, elbow propped up atop the cafeteria table they were sitting at. “Any ideas?”

“Shouldn’t we like, make it catchy, but also give it some deep meaning?” Yeonjun asked.

“Right, and then people will be like ‘aw shit, that’s fucking cool’,” Taehyun said, staring down at the tray of cafeteria food in front of him in disinterest.

“Hmph,” Soobin leaned back a bit. “Well, since we’re like all close friends, a sense of ‘togetherness’ would be suitable, don’t you think?”

Yeonjun reflected upon that statement; at this point, he would reflect upon _any_ statement that came from Soobin’s mouth. “Together…”

“It’s a long word, but it’s cute I guess,” Beomgyu said, looking over at Yeonjun and then back at Soobin. “If we take another long word maybe we could abbreviate our name.”

Kai’s eyes lit up at this. “Right? Literally everyone abbreviates their name to shorten some deep meaning.”

“Then what would sound good with the word ‘together’?” Taehyun asked, his voice fading as he grew deeper in thought.

“I dunno,” Kai mumbled, taking out his phone from his pocket to check the time. “But lunch is almost over. Maybe we could talk more about this tomorrow?”

“That’s it.” Four sets of eyes turned to look at Soobin who had suddenly pressed his fist to the table in realization. “Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Beomgyu cocked an eyebrow up in confusion.

“Tomorrow _and_ together?” Yeonjun’s eyes widened when the words slipped out of his own mouth, suddenly exchanging the same excited gaze on Soobin’s face.

“Exactly,” Soobin lifted his hand up and off the table. “It has a ring to it, but I feel like we should connect the two words somehow?”

“I got it!” Taehyun’s face now held an expression similar to Soobin and Yeonjun’s. “Put an ‘x’ in between. Literally so many people do that.”

“So, ‘Tomorrow X Together’?” Beomgyu let the words leave his mouth slowly as if getting a feel for them.

“Mhm, ‘TXT’ for short,” Tahyun crossed his arms in satisfaction.

“Wait, and what if the ‘x’ could also be pronounced ‘by’, like when you multiply?” Kai asked, taking another sip from his water bottle.

“So, like ‘Tomorrow by Together’?” Yeonjun tapped his fingers along the tabletop.

“Yeah, and then it could mean something cool, like how we come together to build a better tomorrow or something,” Kai said, eyes wielding uncertainty as he anticipated a reaction.

“Oh my God, that’s perfect,” Soobin clapped his hands together.

Kai sheepishly smiled, pride filling his eyes. At a seemingly perfect time, the bell rang overhead and the students around them started packing up and walking out of the cafeteria.

“Ew, I have math,” Beomgyu sighed, slinging one of his backpack straps over his shoulder.

“At least you didn’t take physics this year,” Taehyun mumbled. “I guess that’s our cue to leave.”

And with that, the five exchanged their farewells before promising to continue discussing the band name later and parting ways to head to class.

Or, at least until Yeonjun felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned his head for his gaze to suddenly be met with Soobin’s smiling eyes. “Wanna walk together?”

“Oh, sure,” Yeonjun smiled back, heart rate spiking. “Where’s your next class?”

“Room 504.”

“Perfect, mine’s on the way there,” Yeonjun said and the two started walking side-by-side out of the cafeteria and into the noisy hallways.

Unsure as to how to start a quick conversation within the limited time they had until they had to get to their next class, Yeonjun dug through his mind to find something to talk about. Soobin beat him to it.

“So, how do you like being in our band?” he asked, a look of expectation in his eyes.

“Oh, I love it!” Yeonjun said, beaming when Soobin’s lips cracked into a smile. “It added so much...excitement? Yeah, excitement into my life.”

“Really?” Soobin’s round eyes widened a tad. “I didn’t think you’d enjoy it so much.”

“Soobin, I haven’t felt this in happy in a long time,” Yeonjun said, his smile failing to cease. “It’s actually really stress-relieving, and definitely a better coping mechanism for stress than vaping.”

Something inside of Soobin must’ve sparked after Yeonjun finished his sentence as he turned his head to lock his eyes with the other. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, why would I lie to you?”

“Oh my God,” Soobin suddenly broke the momentary eye contact to look up at the ceiling and run a hand through his hair. “This whole band thing really had a positive impact on you, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, if it wasn’t obvious enough,” Yeonjun laughed as Soobin weakly smiled at him again. “Ah! I think we’ve made it to my classroom.”

The two halted before the doorway to Yeonjun’s history class, turning to face each other.

“Well, this is where I stop,” Yeonjun said, looking up at Soobin with that dumbass smile he’s had on since the end of lunch. “I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah, after school?”

Yeonjun nodded. He expected Soobin to turn away and continue walking, but no, he did something _way_ more unexpected that had Yeonjun’s eyes wide.

“Can I get a hug?” Soobin opened his arms up, an embarrassed smile painted on his lips. 

“I- of course,” Yeonjun’s breath caught in his throat before he wrapped his arms around Soobin’s tall figure, feeling the other’s arms settle around him. “Why?” he asked, voice slightly muffled by the school uniform Soobin wore. 

“Just because.”

Yeonjun took it as an answer. A few seconds passed by before they remembered they had a fifth-period class to get to. They parted, Yeonjun gazing up at the taller boy. “Wait, Soobin.”

“Hm?”

“I…” _Bitch, don’t fucking do it._ Yeonjun took a breath. “I hope you have a great fifth and sixth period.”

Soobin snickered, his dimples on full display. “I hope you do too, Yeonjun. I better get going though. I’ll see you later.”

Yeonjun nodded and waved him goodbye, watching Soobin turn and walk further down the hall before turning on his own heel and walking into class.

—

“Yeonjun, how many times do we have to tell you? He _has_ to like you back,” Wooyoung impatiently tapped his pencil against his textbook. He was laying on his stomach on top of Yeonjun’s bed as he usually did, feet swinging up in the air. “All you have to do is kiss him.”

“I’m literally gonna go fucking crazy,” Yeonjun was sat in the middle of his bed, sandwiched between Wooyoung and Changbin.

“Just get it over with, if he doesn’t like you back—which is unlikely—just move on,” Changbin said, mindlessly scrolling through his phone. “It’s not like it’ll matter a year from now. We’re seniors, we’re gonna be graduating in a month anyway.”

“Okay, but like, we’re actually taking this whole band thing seriously. And I really like being a part of it,” Yeonjun sighed, letting his back hit the bed as he fell backward. “I don’t wanna ruin things or make them awkward.”

“Hmph,” Wooyoung shut his textbook—it seemed that he never understood what he was reading in that damned thing anyway—before sliding it across the bed’s comforter. “That’s a lovely dilemma you have, Yeonjun.”

“Tell me about it,” said male scoffed.

“Well, based on what you’ve told us, he’s interested. We’ve established this a long time ago.” Changbin said. “I think if you confess to him, he’ll probably say yes, and that’d obviously be a good thing. Not only will you be happy in a relationship—ew—I don’t think it’d negatively affect the dynamic of the band. And if he rejects you, then you could always leave. He’d understand, they were already functioning as four, and who knows if he’ll have the time to play anymore after high school?”

“Ugh, Changbin, your mind is so powerful,” Wooyoung sat up. “Just listen to him, Yeonjun.”

Changbin playfully pressed a hand up to his heart, giving Wooyoung a look of endearment. “Why, thank you.”

“Anything for you, baby,” Wooyoung winked. All Yeonjun was able to hear was a playful smack and a yelp coming from Wooyoung as Changbin reminded him for the tenth time that he has a boyfriend and shouldn’t be shamelessly flirting with his best friend.

“Anyway, speaking of boyfriends, we never really asked you much about Hyunjin and Seungmin,” Changbin said. “How’d that go?”

“Yeah, you guys really have people talking. We’re intrigued,” Wooyoung added.

Yeonjun sat up, leaning back as his arms supported his posture. “It was really nice. I didn’t know there would be fireworks.”

“So Hyunjin _did_ go with my fireworks idea,” Changbin smirked. “I guess my mind _is_ powerful.”

“Damn right it is,” Wooyoung playfully elbowed the other, who just rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay. You may continue, Yeonjun.”

“Thank you,” sarcasm tinged Yeonjun’s voice as a rolled his eyes at the two before continuing. “They seemed to really love it, which was nice. They also managed to make me feel super jealous of their relationship which was also nice.”

“Oh, to be young and in love,” Wooyoung clutched his heart. “Truly a blessing.”

“Pfft, that’s lame,” Changbin muttered. “Who needs love?”

“Yeonjun sure does.”

Wooyoung’s shoulder must’ve been sore from all the times Yeonjun and Changbin had playfully slapped it in annoyance that day. He put it upon himself in a way, thanks to all of his smug remarks.

“Anyway, since people are talking about us, we decided to come up with a name yesterday.”

“Ooh, what is it?” Wooyoung’s feet dangled in the air. Changbin’s eyes held a similar look of curiosity.

“So, we’re called ‘Tomorrow X Together’, but the ‘X’ is pronounced as ‘by’ as if you were multiplying. You can abbreviate it to ‘TXT’ and essentially it signifies that the five of us have come together as one to build a better tomorrow.” Yeonjun took a rather large intake of air after explaining, eyes gleaming with pride when he earned impressed glances from the other two.

“That’s fucking cool,” Changbin said.

An agreeing hum came from Wooyoung. “Shit, you guys should play for me and my friends. And the friends of my friends. And their friends’ friends-”

“We get the idea, Woo,” Changbin cut the younger off. “But yeah, you guys made money off of Hyunjin and Seungmin’s gig, right?”

“Yeah, 5,000 won for each of us.”

“Then if you guys did three gigs a week, that’s 15,000 a week, and if there are about four weeks in a month, then that’d be 60,000 in a month. And that’s only averaging the tip that _two_ people would give you,” Wooyoung said. “Oh my god, you’re treating Changbin and I for dinner one day.”

“Only if you two help promote us,” Yeonjun winked.

“Bet,” Changbin took his phone out of his pocket. “You already have half the school intrigued since they kiss Hyunjin’s ass. Me, one of his best friends promoting you guys? That’d seal the fucking deal.”

“And I have my connections too,” Wooyoung flicked a strand of hair away from his eye as he reached for his phone that lay atop Yeonjun’s bed. “San knows like, the entire fucking senior class somehow. Makes me jealous but, I know he loves me regardless.”

Wooyoung only laughed at the mock-vomiting Changbin and Yeonjun did, the two even going as far as making fake regurgitating noises until it actually felt like they were choking on air. 

“Ugh, I can’t believe you two already love each other. Woo,” Yeonjun sighed. “But, thanks, you guys. I was half-joking, but it seems like you guys truly do care.”

“Of course we do, Junie,” Wooyoung suddenly reached over and tugged on one of Yeonjun’s cheeks in endearment. “We’d do anything to help you get money _and_ a man, darling.”

“Yeah, pretend I said what he said, minus the ‘darling’. That’s fucking weird,” Changbin crossed his arms, looking at Yeonjun with a gaze similar to Wooyoung’s. It was just a tad less endearing which was made up for with pride. 

Yeonjun just laughed, playfully swatting Wooyoung’s hand away from his cheek, which had probably begun to turn red where it had been pinched. 

Maybe everything _would_ be alright. 

—

The next three weeks passed along, and with them came immeasurable success for the band. Just as Changbin and Wooyoung suspected, people were most certainly interested and gigs were about three times a week on average for the band. It had gotten to the point that they had migrated from holding such gigs in Soobin’s garage to the park across the street from their school and vacant parking lots in residential areas in nearby neighborhoods.

And, shit, did Wooyoung and Changbin have their connections. Yeonjun had grown to tell who came because of the mere fact that they had played for Hwang Hyunjin—the people that “kissed his ass” as Changbin loved to say. The band would receive a flurry of compliments admiring the band and how their first-ever audience was Hwang Hyunjin and Kim Seungmin—it was a big fucking deal to everyone for some reason?

And at one point, Wooyoung brought his _entire_ friend group; eight guys in their late adolescence clutching their hands to their chests as the sweet melody of a Day6 song poured into their ears. Yeonjun recognized all but two of them from school, realizing that maybe San _did_ know the entire senior class as Wooyoung had claimed. Apparently, he seemed to have been familiar with last year’s graduating class too, as the two guys Yeonjun didn’t quite recognize were the school’s alumni that San used to hang out with during his underclassmen years. Not like it mattered to Yeonjun or anything; Wooyoung just always found it necessary to explain the intricate storyline of his friendships, similar as to how Beomgyu talked about the entire history of his friendship with Hyunjin.

Were the weeks more overwhelming and busy due to the fact their gigs had multiplied? Oh, most definitely. It wasn’t anything a tad bit of nicotine couldn’t fix though.

But not only did more gigs mean more vaporizing, but it also meant more of Yeonjun’s time being spent with Soobin. That was better than any pen by a long shot.

Today, Yeonjun spent his afternoon in Soobin’s bedroom, laid out atop the bed pushed up against the wall. He had the watermelon puff in between his index and middle fingers, most likely on its last few puffs at this point.

“You really liked it, didn’t you?” Soobin asked from where he sat at the desk in his bedroom.

“Mhm,” Yeonjun hummed as he brought it to his lips and took a hit. “I feel like I still owe you.” The vapor left his nose and mouth as he spoke.

“It’s been a month and a half since I gave it to you. I’d imagine that you would’ve let the whole thing go by now.”

“I know. I just really appreciate you...giving this to me.”

Soobin laughed. “I’m glad.”

“You paint your nails, right?” Yeonjun asked, completely out of the blue.

“Uh, yeah? Why?”

“I dunno, it’s just the first thing I noticed about you.”

“At the boba shop?”

“Yeah,” Yeonjun laughed breathlessly. “As I said, I think you’re fucking cool.”

“Why, because I paint my nails black like half the fucking guys that post thirst traps on TikTok?” Soobin rolled his eyes, the pink tint dusting his cheeks showing him that he was otherwise flattered.

Yeonjun laughed, sitting up to make eye contact with Soobin. “You’re hotter than those guys anyway.”

“What?” Soobin’s eyes went so wide Yeonjun almost feared they’d pop out of their sockets.

“Was that out of pocket?” Yeonjun nervously smiled, face growing hot as internally kicked himself for letting that slip.

“Actually, no. Not at all,” Soobin blinked, smiling. “You really think I’m that hot?”

“I mean, yeah. Wouldn’t anyone?”

“Pfft, I doubt it,” Soobin snorted in amusement, gaze traveling down to Yeonjun’s hand. “Can I take a hit?”

“Go for it,” Yeonjun tossed the puff bar to Soobin, who caught it and took a long drag seconds after. As he exhaled, the familiar misty vapor escaped his mouth and dissolved into thin air before he sucked in for another hit.

Yeonjun intently watched the younger, having nothing better to do. Remembering what he mentioned about Soobin’s fingernails, he looked at them, noticing that the black paint on his middle finger had started to chip. “You know how I can repay you for giving me that puff?”

“Hm?” Soobin cocked an eyebrow up in curiosity, tossing the pink bar back onto his bed.

“I’ll repaint your nails. They look a little...dated,” Yeonjun slid off the bed to approach Soobin. “Unless you don’t want me to, of course.”

“Actually, that’d be a great idea,” Soobin said. “I’ve been meaning to do so, but we’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to.”

Yeonjun clasped his hands together in excitement, heart racing in pure joy. “Oh my God, thank you. It feels like such an honor.”

Soobin grinned at Yeonjun’s sudden enthusiasm, pulling out two nail polish bottles; one was filled with clear top coat polish and the other was filled with the obvious black paint. “Take it away.” He placed the two glass bottles into Yeonjun’s hands. 

With a slow nod, Yeonjun beckoned Soobin over to the bed so they could both sit down. They settled atop the mattress and Yeonjun started to slowly twist the cap off the black polish bottle. “Hey, don’t get anything on the blankets!” Soobin warned, the playful tilt in his voice indicating that he was exaggerating. Nonetheless, Yeonjun still took that mental note as he laughed. 

“Okay, I’ve never really painted anyone’s nails before, but I’ve seen my mom do it and it doesn’t look _that_ hard?” Yeonjun carefully dipped the brush in once before taking it out of the bottle and placing it on top of one of Soobin’s index fingers. 

“Just try your best, it doesn’t have to be perfect,” Soobin’s soft voice prodded Yeonjun on, causing him to suddenly grow more confident and relaxed despite the younger’s gaze not leaving the hand that held the polish cap and brush. 

“Do you want me to paint all your nails?”

“Why not?”

Yeonjun nodded and decided to close his mouth and concentrated his focus towards the careful brushstrokes that stained Soobin’s nail black. The silence between the two grew, yet it wasn’t awkward. Rather, it created a serene environment and a new aura that only Yeonjun and Soobin grew amicable to. No sound but their quiet breaths filled the atmosphere, Yeonjun momentarily holding his when he applied the final coat to Soobin’s middle finger. 

Soobin’s gaze bore into Yeonjun as time passed, feeling comforting yet so intimidating to the older. It didn’t make sense as those two feelings were complete opposites, but in a way, it perfectly described how Yeonjun felt in Soobin’s presence; comforted by his words yet intimidated by his thoughts. It didn’t make that much sense, but did hope ever make much sense when it came to love?

Yeonjun carefully moved onto Soobin’s ring finger, delicately placing two of his own fingers to the sides of it in an attempt to keep it still. With his other hand, he dipped back into the nail polish bottle, which was leaning against his leg to prevent it from tipping over and spilling onto the comforter.

“I’ll hold it,” Soobin’s voice was low, barely over a whisper. He reached his free hand over and took the small bottle, freeing Yeonjun’s leg from its restricted position.

“Oh, thanks,” Yeonjun smiled, his voice also quiet. Soobin nodded as if gently prodding Yeonjun on.

And so he continued, finishing Soobin’s right hand and moving to his left. They didn’t speak much as Soobin allowed Yeonjun to continue doing his thing, the other growing more used to the feel and technique used when painting nails.

Seconds became minutes, and the quiet aspect of the room was making Yeonjun feel restless. Yet the next moment was spent in silence so Yeonjun could finally finish painting Soobin’s nails. Within the next ten minutes, Yeonjun swiftly applied the clear top coat polish, touching up the freshly-painted nails with a shine.

“Wow,” Soobin looked at his nails, squinting his eyes as if he were some kind of manicure connoisseur. “They’re not bad at all for someone’s first time.”

“Really?” Yeonjun asked, bringing a hand up to his mouth to hide his smile. “You probably could’ve done better.”

“Don’t say that, you actually did a good job, Yeonjun.”

“Thank you.” Yeonjun stood up from where he sat on the bed to stretch. He pulled out his phone from the pocket of his jeans to check the time, eyes widening when he saw that it was already past 5 PM. “Shit, I have so much homework to do. I better get going.”

“I see,” Soobin also stood up, facing Yeonjun. “Only one more month of high school and we’ll be done.”

“You’re right,” Yeonjun sighed before reaching for his backpack and slinging one of the straps over his shoulder. “I’ll see you soon?”

“I sure hope so.”

Yeonjun smiled. “I’ll be sure to find you then.”

—

The next three weeks passed along, and with them came immeasurable success for the band. Just as Changbin and Wooyoung suspected, people were most certainly interested and gigs were about three times a week on average for the band. It had gotten to the point that they had migrated from holding such gigs in Soobin’s garage to the park across the street from their school and vacant parking lots in residential areas in nearby neighborhoods.

And, shit, did Wooyoung and Changbin have their connections. Yeonjun had grown to tell who came because of the mere fact that they had played for Hwang Hyunjin—the people that “kissed his ass” as Changbin loved to say. The band would receive a flurry of compliments admiring the band and how their first ever audience was Hwang Hyunjin and Kim Seungmin—it was a big fucking deal to everyone for some reason?

And at one point, Wooyoung brought his _entire_ friend group; eight guys in their late adolescence clutching their hands to their chests as the sweet melody of a Day6 song poured into their ears. Yeonjun recognized all but two of them from school, realizing that maybe San _did_ know the entire senior class as Wooyoung had claimed. Apparently he seemed to have been familiar with last year’s graduating class too, as the two guys Yeonjun didn’t quite recognize were the school’s alumni that San used to hang out with during his underclassmen years. Not like it mattered to Yeonjun or anything; Wooyoung just always found it necessary to explain the intricate storyline of his friendships, similar as to how Beomgyu talked about the entire history of his friendship with Hyunjin.

Were the weeks more overwhelming and busy due to the fact their gigs had multiplied? Oh, most definitely. It wasn’t anything a tad bit of nicotine couldn’t fix though.

But not only did more gigs mean more vaporizing, it also meant more of Yeonjun’s time being spent with Soobin. That was better than any pen by a long shot.

Today, Yeonjun spent his afternoon in Soobin’s bedroom, laid out atop the bed pushed up against the wall. He had the watermelon puff in between his index and middle fingers, most likely on its last few puffs at this point.

“You really liked it, didn’t you?” Soobin asked from where he sat at the desk in his bedroom.

“Mhm,” Yeonjun hummed as he brought it to his lips and took a hit. “I feel like I still owe you.” The vapor left his nose and mouth as he spoke.

“It’s been a month and a half since I gave it to you. I’d imagine that you would’ve let the whole thing go by now.”

“I know. I just really appreciate you...giving this to me.”

Soobin laughed. “I’m glad.”

“You paint your nails, right?” Yeonjun asked, completely out of the blue.

“Uh, yeah? Why?”

“I dunno, it’s just the first thing I noticed about you.”

“At the boba shop?”

“Yeah,” Yeonjun laughed breathlessly. “Like I said, I think you’re fucking cool.”

“Why, because I paint my nails black like half the fucking guys that post thirst traps on TikTok?” Soobin rolled his eyes, the pink tint dusting his cheeks showing him that he was otherwise flattered.

Yeonjun laughed, sitting up to make eye contact with Soobin. “You’re hotter than those guys anyway.”

“What?” Soobin’s eyes went so wide Yeonjun almost feared they’d pop out of their sockets.

“Was that out of pocket?” Yeonjun nervously smiled, face growing hot as internally kicked himself for letting that slip.

“Actually, no. Not at all,” Soobin blinked, smiling. “You really think I’m that hot?”

“I mean, yeah. Wouldn’t anyone?”

“Pfft, I doubt it,” Soobin snorted in amusement, gaze travelling down to Yeonjun’s hand. “Can I take a hit?”

“Go for it,” Yeonjun tossed the puff bar to Soobin, who caught it and took a long drag seconds after. As he exhaled, the familiar misty vapor escaped his mouth and dissolved into thin air before he sucked in for another hit.

Yeonjun intently watched the younger, having nothing better to do. Remembering what he mentioned about Soobin’s fingernails, he looked at them, noticing that the black paint on his middle finger had started to chip. “You know how I can repay you for giving me that puff?”

“Hm?” Soobin cocked an eyebrow up in curiosity, tossing the pink bar back onto his bed.

“I’ll repaint your nails. They look a little...dated,” Yeonjun slid off the bed to approach Soobin. “Unless you don’t want me to, of course.”

“Actually, that’d be a great idea,” Soobin said. “I’ve been meaning to do so, but we’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to.”

Yeonjun clasped his hands together in excitement, heart racing in pure joy. “Oh my God, thank you. It feels like such an honor.”

Soobin grinned at Yeonjun’s sudden enthusiasm, pulling out two nail polish bottles; one was filled with clear top coat polish and the other was filled with the obvious black paint. “Take it away.” He placed the two glass bottles into Yeonjun’s hands. 

With a slow nod, Yeonjun beckoned Soobin over to the bed so they could both sit down. They settled atop the mattress and Yeonjun started to slowly twist the cap off the black polish bottle. “Hey, don’t get anything on the blankets!” Soobin warned, the playful tilt in his voice indicating that he was exaggerating. Nonetheless, Yeonjun still took that mental note as he laughed. 

“Okay, I’ve never really painted anyone’s nails before, but I’ve seen my mom do it and it doesn’t look _that_ hard?” Yeonjun carefully dipped the brush in once before taking it out of the bottle and placing it on top of one of Soobin’s index fingers. 

“Just try your best, it doesn’t have to be perfect,” Soobin’s soft voice prodded Yeonjun on, causing him to suddenly grow more confident and relaxed despite the younger’s gaze not leaving the hand that held the polish cap and brush. 

“Do you want me to paint all your nails?”

“Why not?”

Yeonjun nodded and decided to close his mouth and concentrated his focus towards the careful brushstrokes that stained Soobin’s nail black. The silence between the two grew, yet it wasn’t awkward. Rather, it created a serene environment and a new aura that only Yeonjun and Soobin grew amicable to. No sound but their quiet breaths filled the atmosphere, Yeonjun momentarily holding his when he applied the final coat to Soobin’s middle finger. 

Soobin’s gaze bore into Yeonjun as time passed, feeling comforting yet so intimidating to the older. It didn’t make sense as those two feelings were complete opposites, but in a way it perfectly described how Yeonjun felt in Soobin’s presence; comforted by his words yet intimidated by his thoughts. It didn’t make that much sense, but did hope ever make much sense when it came to love?

Yeonjun carefully moved onto Soobin’s ring finger, delicately placing two of his own fingers to the sides of it in an attempt to keep it still. With his other hand, he dipped back into the nail polish bottle, which was leaning against his leg to prevent it from tipping over and spilling onto the comforter.

“I’ll hold it,” Soobin’s voice was low, barely over a whisper. He reached his free hand over and took the small bottle, freeing Yeonjun’s leg from its restricted position.

“Oh, thanks,” Yeonjun smiled, his voice also quiet. Soobin nodded, as if gently prodding Yeonjun on.

And so he continued, finishing Soobin’s right hand and moving to his left. They didn’t speak much as Soobin allowed Yeonjun to continue doing his thing, the other growing more used to the feel and technique used when painting nails.

Seconds became minutes, and the quiet aspect of the room was making Yeonjun feel restless. Yet the next moment was spent in silence so Yeonjun could finally finish painting Soobin’s nails. Within the next ten minutes, Yeonjun swiftly applied the clear top coat polish, touching up the freshly-painted nails with a shine.

“Wow,” Soobin looked at his nails, squinting his eyes as if he were some kind of manicure connoisseur. “They’re not bad at all for someone’s first time.”

“Really?” Yeonjun asked, bringing a hand up to his mouth to hide his smile. “You probably could’ve done better.”

“Don’t say that, you actually did a good job, Yeonjun.”

“Thank you.” Yeonjun stood up from where he sat on the bed to stretch. He pulled out his phone from the pocket of his jeans to check the time, eyes widening when he saw that it was already past 5 PM. “Shit, I have so much homework to do. I better get going.”

“I see,” Soobin also stood up, facing Yeonjun. “Only one more month of high school and we’ll be done.”

“You’re right,” Yeonjun sighed before reaching for his backpack and slinging one of the straps over his shoulder. “I’ll see you soon?”

“I sure hope so.”

Yeonjun smiled. “I’ll be sure to find you then.”

—

The band’s growth was so exponential the next two weeks, Yeonjun had started to develop a feeling as if this whole thing was unreal; nothing but a mere figment of his imagination that had bloomed into the circumstances he was faced with. As if he weren’t already recognized enough around campus prior, now he was considered a celebrity. The infatuated whispers in the hallways when his presence stood amongst others were obvious, and although Yeonjun couldn’t hear the exact words, he knew he didn’t need for them to be articulated as he had a relative idea as to what they were saying. 

Maybe it could’ve made him feel stressed. Maybe it was all a test to see if he would crack under this pressure. Yeonjun persisted.

So the uncommon look of pride and excitement that sat in Soobin’s eyes as he spoke sparked a curiosity within Yeonjun. After having met up with the tall boy right after fourth period in the hallway between the “300” and “400” classrooms, Yeonjun couldn’t help but notice the odd confidence Soobin’s demeanor held today. Not that Soobin wasn’t confident, it was rather that such behavior was unusual from him since he kept things realistic and wasn’t one to grow too optimistic nor too pessimistic. Yeonjun aspired to be like him more.

“You look extra happy today,” Yeonjun commented, a smile instinctively finding itself onto his lips.

“Is it that noticeable?” Soobin asked, his hand sub-consciously making its way up to his face as if he could feel his expression.

“I mean, it was the first thing I noticed about you right now.”

“Well, that doesn’t seem like a bad thing.”

“It’s not,” Yeonjun blinked, eyes focused on Soobin as they continued to walk down the hallway, approaching the cafeteria entrance. “So, what put such a sparkle in your eyes?”

“I was going to wait until all five of us were sitting down at one of the cafeteria tables to announce the news, but it seems you’re intrigued.”

“Oh, I could wait a few moments,” Yeonjun said, noticing the surroundings around him change through his peripheral vision as he still hadn’t torn his eyes away from Soobin. “You do have my interest piqued though.”

“It’s good news, and I highly doubt you guys will turn this down.”

By the time Soobin had finished that sentence, the pair spotted Kai, Taehyun, and Beomgyu already seated a few tables down. They quickly made their way towards the table, meeting the other’s glances as they noticed their presence.

“What took you guys so long?” Beomgyu asked as Yeonjun and Soobin seated themselves across from the other three. His voice was nonchalant, but the coy smile playing on his lips betrayed his collective front.

“We were just walking down the hall and talking,” Yeonjun said, blinking at Beomgyu, who’s eyes narrowed at the vague information he had received.

“Yeah, and actually, I have an announcement to make,” Soobin spoke up beside Yeonjun, attracting all the eyes at the table towards himself.

“Ooh, is it good or bad?” Kai asked, one eyebrow raised in curiosity.

“Good. One of the ASB officers in my fourth-period class said the ASB president is offering us the chance to play at prom, which is in two-ish weeks,” Soobin said, earning astonished looks from the table.

“Wait, so like, they want us to like, play music?” Beomgyu asked.

“What else would they expect from us?” Taehyun glanced at Beomgyu, who shoved the other’s arm before crossing his own to his chest.

“I was just asking,” he scoffed, the glint in his eyes playful as he glared at Taehyun. 

“For clarification, yes, they want us to play music. Preferably during the last half hour or so,” Soobin said. “I guess since they wanna start it off hyped and then end it on a more sentimental note?”

“Well, I’m down,” Kai chimed in. “I’m assuming the rest of you guys are too?”

“I am,” Yeonjun said, looking across the table at the others. Taehyun and Beomgyu exchanged affirmative nods. 

“Then it’s on, I’ll let the ASB know asap,” Soobin smiled, watching the others discreetly cheer in the midst of the cafeteria.

“Wow, I didn’t think things would turn out to be _this_ big,” Yeonjun suddenly nudged Soobin gently, turning to direct his voice to only him. 

“Neither did I, yet here we are,” Soobin met Yeonjun’s eyes. It made the moment feel intimate—not _that_ kind of intimate—as Yeonjun felt Soobin was only paying attention to him in that exact moment. It ended earlier than he wanted it to when Soobin turned away to look at the other three, who were now knowingly staring at the two. 

Soobin either ignored them or was oblivious to their gazes. “We’ll meet up after school today and start coming up with a tracklist, if you guys are available that is.”

“You know we always are,” Kai winked.

“Then it’s a plan.”

—

The clock seemed to relentlessly tick. Seconds turned to minutes, turned to hours, turned to days, and soon enough it had been a week. Which only meant that there was about a week left before prom.

The band had spent a handful of hours the past week in order to create their setlist and practice such setlist. It was a tad bit exhausting, as Yeonjun found himself trying to juggle his time with the band and his schoolwork that the typical high school senior was faced with near the end of the school year. Nonetheless, he persevered and found himself making it all the way to Friday (barely) and to be exact, eight days before the big night.

He and Soobin had talked about the event itself once, somewhere in the middle of the past week. It was _their_ prom, and they would be performing for the last half hour. It was a surreal feeling, and the two promised each other that they would have a great night. The first three and a half-ish spent on the dancefloor and the final thirty minutes were to be spent performing.

The icing on the cake was the fact that they would be getting paid for this event from the ASB themselves, and no, it wasn’t just a pile of 5,000 won bills that they seemed to receive from the majority of their gigs. An entire 500,000 won was offered and would be delivered to them in the form of a check. Who knew such a tiny, thin slip of paper could amount to so much.

And so here the five of them were, standing in Soobin’s garage in their usual spots, foreheads damp with sweat. As summer grew nearer, the temperature trapped inside the garage only seemed to rise. Yeonjun cringed at the fact his palms were clammy, especially his left one, which was wrapped around his guitar’s fingerboard.

“That’s a wrap!” Soobin’s voice echoed off the confining walls of the garage. “We’re done for the day.”

“Shit, it’s getting hotter,” Beomgyu mumbled, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead, eyebrows crinkling in disgust when his glimmering sweat stared back at him. 

“At least it means summer’s coming,” Kai stood up from the drum set to stretch. “God, sophomore year was kinda exhausting.”

“It sure was,” Taehyun sighed, taking a step away from his keyboard. “Summer break feels so close, yet so far.” He earned hums of agreement for that statement. 

“Well, I have to get going. My mom’s making dinner tonight and I’m hungry,” Beomgyu spoke as he lifted the strap of his bass guitar off his shoulder and carefully placed the instrument against the wall. “I’ll see you guys on Monday.”

“Taehyun and I have to leave too, we’re carpooling home tonight,” Kai said, exchanging a glance of confirmation with Taehyun. “We’ll see you guys at school on Monday too.”

“Wow, you guys are eager to leave,” Yeonjun commented, waving the three goodbye with the ghost of a smile on his face. 

“When life calls, you have no choice but to respond to it, now do you?” Taehyun asked, his question rhetorical as he smiled and turned to Kai. “Shit, my mom might already be pulling up. Let’s hurry.”

And with that, the three filed out of the garage to leave Yeonjun and Soobin to stand there and watch their departure. The garage grew quiet as Yeonjun turned to look at Soobin, who began to lift his guitar strap over his head before walking over to let it lean against the wall. Yeonjun did the same, relieved that the strap was no longer digging mercilessly into his shoulder. 

“It looks like it’s just the two of us now, huh?” Yeonjun’s voice was what shattered the silence.

“Mhm,” was the affirmative response from Soobin. “Do you need to leave?”

“I don’t have a reason to,” Yeonjun said, leaning against the wall. “Why? Are you trying to kick me out?”

“Of course not!” Soobin’s voice was shocked, eyebrows crinkled in defense. “That’s not what my question was implying.”

“I know, I know. Just fucking with you.”

Soobin’s shoulders visibly relaxed at Yeonjun’s nonchalant response. “Well, wanna go upstairs?”

“And...?”

“I dunno, I’m just trying to make a suggestion since you’re not leaving anytime soon.”

“You’re really making it sound like you don’t want me here,” Yeonjun pouted, playfully crossing his arms.

Soobin frowned at the gesture. “No one’s forcing you to leave, Yeonjun. I just don’t want you to think I’m boring.”

“I never said you were boring,” Yeonjun continued, pushing himself off of the wall to stride towards the other. “I think you’re fucking cool.”

“I know, you’ve told me that so many times already,” Soobin scoffed, turning his back to Yeonjun so he could open the door.

“And I’ve told you so many times that it’s _true_ ,” Yeonjun said, giving a quick nod to Soobin who held the door open for him as he walked inside.

“You should stop telling me that.”

“What, that you’re cool?” Yeonjun persisted as he followed Soobin up the stairs and down the hallway to his bedroom. “Why?”

“Because what if I actually start believing it?”

Yeonjun stopped just underneath the door frame. “What are you talking about?” he stared dumbly.

“Forget it,” Soobin sighed, plopping down onto his bed. “Want a hit?” He slipped the familiar cherry puff out of his pocket.

Yeonjun nodded, carefully shutting the door behind him. There was no one home, but it made him feel safer for some reason. He slowly sat beside Soobin, looking at him expectantly.

“What are you waiting for? Take it.”

“You’re not gonna put it up to my lips?” Yeonjun asked, eyes glittering in the afternoon sun as he stared at the other.

“Do you want me to?”

“That’s what you always do.”

“Okay then.” Soobin slowly, even hesitantly, placed the puff to Yeonjun’s bottom lip. He carefully tilted it upwards a tad before pushing it further into the other’s plump lips. With the press of a button, vapor was released, inhaled, and exhaled just after Soobin took the pen away from Yeonjun’s lips. That damn sugar-coated cherry-flavored scent filled up the bedroom within seconds.

“Thanks,” Yeonjun sheepishly smiled.

“Do you want me to do that for every hit you take?”

“You don’t have to, but if you truly desire to do so,” Yeonjun winked. Soobin just shook his head and smiled, the pink traveling up to his cheeks most definitely noticeable.

“Whatever,” Soobin sighed before taking a hit, closing his eyes as he blew the vapor out of his mouth. “Just ask.”

“Say less.”

“The more you talk, the less I’ll want to hold the pen for you like a baby.”

“I’m _not_ a baby,” Yeonjun frowned. “I just like it when you do that.”

“I won’t even ask why.”

Yeonjun’s frown transformed into a smile rather quickly before he inched closer to Soobin’s side and let the side of his head rest atop the other’s shoulder like he always did. The warm sensation had grown familiar, yet each time it still sparked something in Yeonjun whenever he did this. Maybe it was the minimal satisfaction brought upon by touch-deprivation.

Soobin had also seemed to grow accustomed to this gesture as he no longer tensed up whenever Yeonjun did this. He just faintly smiled, looking at the older boy before staring blankly at the wall again. “Want another hit?”

“One more.”

The cool sensation of the pen was brought to his lips before he inhaled and exhaled once again. Yeonjun watched the vapor disappear right before his eyes. “You know, this is really bad for us. We’re supposed to be singers.”

“I know,” Soobin said. “We should stop.”

“We should.”

“One day.”

“One day,” Yeonjun echoed.

“Why not now?”

“You’re the one who said ‘one day’, so I went with it,” Yeonjun cheekily smiled, lifting his head up so he could now plant his chin onto Soobin’s shoulder.

“I see. It’s not easy to quit after vaping for so long.”

“How long have you…?”

“Three-ish years? I started freshman year,” Soobin said.

“Oh. One year longer than me.”

“Two years is still a long time.”

“I know,” Yeonjun sighed. “But I like the way you smell like cherries.”

Soobin’s eyebrows shot up in question. “Really? That’s what you like about me? The way I _smell_?”

“I like a lot of things about you, Soobin.” Yeonjun slowly lifted his head off of said male after speaking. “That’s just one of them.”

“Really?” Soobin’s voice sounded almost satirical as if he were in utter disbelief that Yeonjun would even dare to compliment him. “Are you mocking me?”

“No, why would I?”

“Why would you compliment me then?” Soobin pressed on, curiosity spiking as more words tumbled out of Yeonjun’s mouth. “What is it that you like so much about me anyway?”

Yeonjun gulped, attempting to discretely break his eye contact with Soobin. But then again, was it even possible to do so without much wary? “I mean, you’re nice. And hot, but we’ve already established that. You’re a really good singer _and_ guitarist. You care about your friends even when they get on your nerves. You make me feel like a completely different person, in a good way of course.”

Silence followed the sentiment.

Until Soobin responded to it, of course.

“You...really think that highly of me?”

“Why, am I not allowed to?” Yeonjun wanted to bite his lip and shut up, but he couldn’t. He was in too deep at this point.

“You are. It’s just that no one’s ever told me anything like that before.”

“No one’s ever liked you before?” There was no turning back.

Soobin’s eyes widened a tad, but then suddenly narrowed as if he were confused. “What are you implying when you say that?”

“God damn it, can’t you take a hint?” Yeonjun hoped his voice didn’t sound as sharp as it felt in his chest. 

Soobin blinked, still uncertain.

“I like you, Soobin.”

Yeonjun braced himself, a strong sense of hope surging through his heart as his hands found themselves clenching the hems of his shirt. His eyes searched Soobin’s expectantly, impatiently waiting for a response. _Come on...tell me you like me too._

Soobin didn’t say anything for another moment. Yeonjun continued to stare into his eyes. They were even wider if that was even possible. Inside those dark pupils, Yeonjun could see conflict, shock, and maybe even fear.

“Yeonjun, don’t say that.”

“What?” Now Yeonjun sounded condescending, disbelief crashing down onto him as he didn’t quite understand what Soobin meant.

“You shouldn’t like me- no, you _can’t_ like me,” Soobin stared warily back at Yeonjun, the words leaving his mouth slowly and uneasily.

“Oh, so you’re rejecting me?” Yeonjun tightened his grasp on his shirt. He could feel his knuckles turning white and growing numb.

“You’re making me feel bad when you put it that way.”

“Then you very much _are_ rejecting me,” Yeonjun stood up. Although he didn’t intend to sound so irrationally angry, could you blame him?

“Yeonjun, wait-”

“For what?” he glanced back at Soobin, eyes smoldering in a hurt gaze. “There’s no reason for me to be here any longer. I’m leaving.”

“Then leave.”

Yeonjun froze, taken aback by the words that left Soobin’s mouth. Despite the fact Yeonjun had _just_ claimed that he was leaving, hearing Soobin’s words condone—no, _encourage—_ his departure made his heart plummet all the way down to his stomach.

Fuck, as he looked back at Soobin, his arms were crossed and eyebrows furrowed. If he looked into his eyes one last time, Yeonjun could’ve sworn he had seen longing lingering beneath the cloudy exasperation Soobin’s expression held. It must’ve been a delusion at that point.

Yet, he still kept his facade up, borderline-enraged eyes glaring at Soobin one final time before shifting towards the door. “And don’t think I’m leaving because you told me to,” Yeonjun muttered before turning on his heel and walking out the bedroom.

—

Soobin was regretful. Very, very regretful. He felt even worse when he told his friends everything.

“You did _not_ just tell us that you rejected Yeonjun,” Kai’s expression had fallen to the cement floor of the garage in disbelief by now.

“I’m pretty sure he just did,” Beomgyu mumbled with a slightly-agitated sigh. “Disappointing.”

“But why would you reject him when you like him back?” Taehyun asked, eyes staring into Soobin’s soul as if he could read all of his inner thoughts.

As he stood before the three sets of questioning eyes, Soobin let his shoulders slump a bit as he looked away. “I dunno.”

“You don’t _know_?” Beomgyu raised an eyebrow. “Your lack of knowledge is literally costing your friendship with Yeonjun right now. _If_ you guys are even friends anymore.”

“Don’t say that, Beomgyu,” Taehyun muttered.

“It’s the truth!”

“The last sentence was a bit unnecessary, wasn’t it?”

“I’m just trying to put things into perspective, Taehyun.”

“Guys, shut the fuck up,” Kai suddenly cut into their conversation before turning back towards Soobin. “Don’t lie to us, it’s not like we’re gonna tell Yeonjun anything you don’t want us to. Why’d you reject him?”

Beomgyu and Taehyun briefly exchanged glances before shutting their mouths and also looking at Soobin expectantly.

“I told him he couldn’t like me.”

“You told us that five minutes ago,” Kai said, arms now crossed over his chest.

This whole conversation was starting to turn into an interrogation, much to Soobin’s demise. He had no choice but to answer truthfully at this point. He was being read like an open book.

“Okay, fine,” Soobin groaned. He wasn’t sure as to why he was acting so childish, but he knew how dumb he’d sound if he admitted _why_ he had said what he did. Yet, honesty seemed to quite literally be the best policy at that exact moment. He let his gaze drop to his hands, which were sitting in his lap. The hard floor beneath him was starting to grow uncomfortable but he didn’t feel like standing.

“This sounds so lame, but I feel like if I _did_ tell Yeonjun I liked him back, he’d be disappointed if we became more than friends.” Soobin looked up at his friends, searching their faces for any source of disapproval. He couldn’t find any.

Kai started, eyes softening. “And why do you feel that way?”

Soobin gulped. _What is this, a therapy session?_

He realized his thoughts couldn’t be heard allowed and spoke. “What if I’m not good enough?”

“Oh my God, this is such a tragedy,” Beomgyu suddenly said. Although it seemed as though he was trying to lighten up the mood after such a sentiment with comical disbelief, there was still a slight trace of concern in his voice. “Of course you’re good enough, Soobin. If you weren’t, he wouldn’t even have liked you in the first place.”

“He has a point,” Taehyun spoke matter-of-factly. “Self-doubt is inevitable sometimes, and I understand you may think it’d be dangerous to commit to a relationship if you don’t feel that you’re good enough. But you can’t really know that unless you actually _do_ commit to one.”

“Yeah, Taehyun’s right,” Kai said. “Plus, you’re a great person, Soobin.”

“I mean, I guess that’s _why_ he even confessed in the first place,” Soobin’s voice sounded rather blunt as he spoke. It wasn’t his intention, but he only seemed to grow more and more unhappy as he heard how lame his dilemma sounded coming out of his own mouth.

“What’d he say?” Kai asked.

“He started listing off a bunch of things that he liked about me, how he thought I was nice—and hot. And how I’m a caring person? Wow, this is making me feel really shitty.”

“Wow, who knows how much he smoked before coming over,” Beomgyu snorted. He received an eye-roll from both Taehyun and Kai at the comment, but neither cared enough to address it.

Kai steered the conversation back to Soobin. “Yeonjun literally proved to you that he thinks you’re a good—well, amazing—person. That really tells you how good of a person you are.”

“I guess,” Soobin sighed, hoisting himself up from where he sat on the cold, cement floor of his garage. The four had immediately met up after school when Soobin broke the news to them at lunch when Yeonjun’s spot at the cafeteria table was unusually empty. The other three were so intrigued to find out what happened they cornered Soobin before he even had the chance to unlock the door that led to the inside of his home.

“You _guess_?” Beomgyu crossed his arms. “You should tell him how you _really_ feel. It’d make the both of you feel so much better.”

“But he probably hates my guts right now. I fucking _encouraged_ him to leave my house after everything happened.”

“Maybe he hates your guts _now,_ but I swear Soobin, the moment you tell Yeonjun how you really feel, all that anger will vanish,” Kai said. “So go for it.”

“But when?” Soobin asked, still hesitant to follow through with this. “There’s not much time left before the school year ends. Prom is in like, five days.”

“Then do it at prom,” Taehyun chimed in. “That’d be romantic.”

“It would!” Beomgyu’s eyes lit up in agreement.

“But we’re performing?” Soobin mentioned, internally cursing at himself for making up excuses.

“For like, half an hour,” Kai frowned. “Prom is four hours long.”

“But if _he_ rejects me, then the night would be ruined.”

“Oh my God, Soobin,” Beomgyu didn’t even attempt to hide the annoyance in his voice. “He literally fucking _likes_ you.”

“And if it _does_ go wrong, you two will only have a week of final exams before graduating. And it’s not like he’ll be obligated to stay in the band after prom,” Taehyun said.

“Exactly. It’s not like you’re gonna die or something,” Kai nodded in agreement. “But obviously, it’s all up to you. We’re just your supportive best friends giving you advice.”

Something about that statement made Soobin’s chest swell up in hope, his mind finally relaxing a bit. “Okay, thanks, guys.” He sheepishly smiled.

The other cracked into similar smiles, their faces reading _“of course, dumbass”._

—

The week had gone by pain-stakingly slowly, but Friday seemed to have flown by in an instant. Predictably enough, Soobin and Yeonjun had avoided much social interaction during the usual after school practices, only speaking to each other when necessary. It wasn’t ideal, but the huge wall of unresolved tension that stood between them made it difficult for either of them to even make eye contact.

So when Saturday night—prom—arrived, Yeonjun wasn’t sure as to whether he was supposed to feel relieved or nervous; relief that he wouldn’t be obligated to speak to Soobin again, nervous about the fact that he wouldn’t have a reason anyway to speak to the boy after prom. Yeonjun didn’t want such a memorable night to be ruined by whatever was left of the relationship they had with each other, yet he couldn’t quite get his mind off Soobin upon being admitted into the venue.

Two hours into prom, Yeonjun found himself standing on the rooftop of the six-story museum the event was being held at. It was open to everyone present at the event, groups of students bustling about to either get fresh air or make out with each other. He notably rolled his eyes at the latter group, turning to stare at the view of the surrounding buildings and streets around the museum before him. He let his body shift forward and lean against the metal railings that prevented anyone from toppling forward and falling before sighing. If this were the scene of a movie, the cameras would be panning towards his face and zooming in as he sighed. 

“Yeonjun, stop fucking sighing,” a voice muttered beside him. “You’re so dramatic and for what?”

Right. Yeonjun wasn’t sulking on the rooftop by himself; that’d seem a bit sad, wouldn’t it? In fact, he was standing between Wooyoung—who had just spoken—and Changbin. 

“If San had pushed you away when you kissed him all those days ago, you’d be pretty fucking devasted too,” Yeonjun mumbled, letting his cheek rest in the palm of his hand, which was supported by his elbow that was placed carefully atop the railing. 

“Whatever,” Wooyoung scoffed. “Don’t let that shit ruin your night. It’ll be over soon enough.”

“Wooyoung’s right,” Changbin chimed into the conversation. “Plus, you need to be in the right headspace to perform in an hour-ish.”

Yeonjun’s head nodded up and down from where it sat in his palm. “I know.”

“Then stop looking so sad, you’re breaking my heart,” Wooyoung said, turning his head to look at Yeonjun.

“I’m trying my best,” Yeonjun met Wooyoung’s gaze before looking back down to watch a car travel across one of the streets beneath them. “Being rejected does suck though.”

“Here,” Changbin stuck out the pen he had been twirling between his fingers. How he had snuck it in through the brief pat-down and security check upon entering the venue was beyond Yeonjun. 

“What’s in it?”

“Cannabis. Sativa to be exact, so you’ll feel more energized when you perform,” he explained, placing the pen into Yeonjun’s now outstretched hand. 

“How the fuck did you get that in here?” Wooyoung asked, curiosity filling his eyes. 

“I know a few tricks,” Changbin winked before his eyes turned serious. “But shut up, I’m not trying to get caught.”

Wooyoung returned Changbin’s wink with one of his own as if it were supposed to be telling the other that he could be trusted. Changbin responded to it with an eye roll before he looked back at Yeonjun, who stared at the pen for a moment, studying it. 

“You don’t have to take a hit if you don’t want to.”

“No, no. I will,” Yeonjun brought the pen to his face. “I need it.” He pressed a button and inhaled. The familiar yet unfamiliar smell and taste of the sativa filled his senses before he exhaled into the night air. Although he knew it’d take a bit of time for the effects to kick in, Yeonjun could already feel the newfound energy travel through his veins. 

“Better?” Changbin asked. 

“Yeah. Thanks,” Yeonjun smiled gratefully at the shorter male, who nodded before taking the pen back and taking a hit of his own. 

“Well, we’re not gonna smoke cannabis on the rooftop all night, right?” Wooyoung asked, pushing himself off of the guardrail. “We should dance a bit to loosen up, and then we’ll have to kiss Yeonjun goodbye before he has to go backstage and get ready.”

Wooyoung mentioning the fact that Yeonjun had to actually go back stage in about an hour put things in perspective. He wasn’t necessarily nervous, but he couldn’t ignore how tense his body had become once he was hit with the realization. Yeonjun decided to blame it on the sativa.

“You’ll be fine, Yeonjun,” Changbin said, standing up straight in a manner similar to Wooyoung’s. “I can’t tell if you’re nervous about Soobin or performing or both, but I have faith in you.”

“Yeah, Changbin’s right,” Wooyoung said brightly. “We believe in you.”

Yeonjun nodded, spirits lifted a bit after hearing his friends speak. “Thanks, you two.” He then pressed his hands against the metal railing and pushed himself off of it to stand up tall. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

The sentimental tone of Yeonjun’s voice made him cringe a bit, but at least he sounded sincere. Wooyoung and Changbin took no notice of it and proceeded to drag Yeonjun back down six flights of stairs to get to the dancefloor.

Admittedly enough, Yeonjun had felt much of his bottled-up tension seep away once he was on the dancefloor and was regrettably a tad bit disappointed when he checked the time on his phone to see the numbers “10:15 PM” stare back at him. Had an hour gone by that quickly?

Yeonjun briefly told Wooyoung and Changbin that it was time, and the two wished him luck, Wooyoung engulfing him into a hug. Seconds after, Yeonjun waved one final goodbye before vanishing into the crowd, squeezing his way through the dense bodies on the dance floor. 

Upon arriving backstage, Yeonjun could feel his heartbeat increase, his feet mechanically leading him down the short hallway that led to the small space backstage where they had planned to meet. He was there in a short minute, seeing that he was the last one to arrive as the other four were already backstage preparing their instruments. Heads turned as he stepped closer, Kai, Beomgyu, and Taehyun’s mouths twisting into smiles all at the same time as if they had practiced. Soobin looked up too, his eyes meeting Yeonjun’s for a second before he simply nodded in greeting and looked back down at his guitar. 

That reminded Yeonjun, he needed to get ready. He quickly walked over, grabbing his guitar where he had left it before lifting the strap over his head and letting it settle on top of his shoulder. He hesitantly turned back to the others, who were also ready. Yeonjun watched as a few students—who he assumed were the stage crew—were carefully hauling Taehyun’s keyboard and parts of Kai’s drum set up the stairs and onto the stage.

Soon enough, the five of them were escorted up the stairs by and ASB officer—even though they were perfectly capable of doing so by themselves—and directed to their spots on the stage. The curtains were still closed, yet Yeonjun could hear everything happening on the other side of the curtain; the loud music the dj was playing, the students dancing, _everything_.

The ASB officer wished them a quick “good luck!” before vanishing down the staircase offstage. Yeonjun blinked as he looked down at his guitar, the pick in between is fingers resting on one of the strings.

“How much longer do we have?” Taehyun’s voice spoke from somewhere off to Yeonjun’s left.

“Like, five minutes?” Kai’s voice sounded uncertain. He repeated the phrase again with more confidence, as if he were trying to convince himself that he was right.

“Well, you guys know how it works,” Soobin said, causing four sets of eyes to land on him. Yeonjun looked at him unblinkingly, trying not to think of the harsh rejection he had experienced a few days ago. “It’s another gig, just with more people and a bigger paycheck. We got this.”

“Yeah, we totally do!” Kai exclaimed, smiling. Beomgyu and Taehyun nodded in agreement, sharing similar sentiments. Yeonjun quietly nodded too, meeting everyone’s eyes for a moment before turning back forward.

He spent the next few minutes pacing his breaths, inhaling for three seconds, and exhaling for four. It killed enough time for Yeonjun to feel less tense, his timing on point as a new voice suddenly boomed throughout the loudspeakers on the other side of the curtain.

“Alright guys! It’s been a great night, hasn’t it?” the voice of the ASB officer who had brought them backstage echoed off of the walls. The crowd roared for a few seconds, then died down to let her speak again. “So, as you may know, there’s only about a half-hour left and we wanted to make these last thirty-ish minutes special. For the final portion of the night, your local band Tomorrow X Together will be performing!”

Yeonjun hadn’t expected the screams and cheers from the other side of the thin curtain, but at the mention of their name the crowd had roared with excitement and suddenly the curtain spread apart, revealing the huge crowd looking up at the stage eagerly. Yeonjun’s heart jumped suddenly, because holy shit, this truly _was_ their biggest gig yet. Hundreds of students were standing across the expanse of the museum’s ground floor, hundreds of pairs of eyes gazing at the five of them. Yeonjun smiled when he found Wooyoung and Changbin, the former nudging his way to the front and giving Changbin no other option but to follow him.

His head snapped back up when Soobin started to speak into the microphone in front of him. “Hello everyone! How’s your night been?”

Inaudible responses flooded the atmosphere, all of them combined into one huge cheer. Yeonjun assumed most of them were “good”s or “great”s.

“Well,” Soobin continued. “We’ve prepared a few songs for you guys, so let’s get started, shall we?”

And so they kicked the performance off, the edge on Yeonjun’s nerves starting to fade as they opened the first song. He couldn’t remember the name of it, but it was trendy and all that mattered was the students screaming the lyrics along with them in broken English as they played.

—

Twenty-five minutes passed by way faster than Yeonjun had expected them to, and they flew through their setlist effortlessly. Any sense of nervousness was completely obliterated as Yeonjun played, the chords he played so familiar to him he didn’t even need to anticipate them. As their second-to-last song came to an end, the crowd continued to cheer, as they did at the end of every song they played.

Yeonjun didn’t realize how hard he was breathing until he felt the rise and fall of his chest and his slightly damp hair stick to his forehead. The bright spotlights shining upon them were rather hot and his dress shirt and suit jacket didn’t help either, but he dismissively ran a hand through his hair and looked down at the crowd. Wooyoung was waving up at him, most likely screaming his name, but Yeonjun couldn’t hear a thing since practically everyone was screaming and it all sounded like one huge commotion from where he stood.

Soobin cleared his throat into his microphone, and the museum started to quiet down to let him speak. “I’m sorry to say this, but this will be the last song of the night.” They received mixed reactions from the crowd in return, most of them groans of dread as they didn’t expect the night to end so early.

Soobin waited for it to grow quiet again before speaking. “So, here’s the last song, ‘The greatest’ by Lana Del Rey.” The crowd erupted once again as they started off the song.

Yeonjun stared at the scene before him, his eyes traveling across the large expanse of students on the ground below him. He let his mind ease a bit as he played the song’s chords with dexterity, the song bringing some unexplainable sense of nostalgia. Yeonjun had never heard this song prior to learning how to play it as Soobin had chosen their final song, yet it’s beautifully written lyrics and hard-hitting vocals seemed to encapsulate the feeling of an eventful night coming to an end.

He listened to Beomgyu sing, somewhere off to his right, who enunciated each English word to the best of his ability while also trying to express the emotions the song conveyed. Yeonjun leaned back as if there were an invisible wall behind him to support him, looking down at his fingers, which strummed against the electric guitar’s strings without difficulty. 

The song’s chorus arrived, and Yeonjun opened his mouth to sing.

_“And I'm wasted_

_Don't leave‚ I just need a wake-up call_

_I'm facing the greatest_

_The greatest loss of them all.”_

Yeonjun blinked, his heart jumping when there was a sudden burst of cheers coming from the crowd after he sang. He couldn’t help the half-embarrassed-half-confident smile that found its way onto his lips as it wasn’t something he expected. What exactly _was_ so great about Yeonjun’s singing? His longing-sounding voice as he sang? His facial expressions? He stopped his mind from wandering further.

The next verse and pre-chorus went by rather quickly, even with the guitar solo after the first chorus. So when Soobin started singing the second chorus, Yeonjun couldn’t help but feel his chest tighten as his heart melted.

The lyrics were essentially the same as the first chorus, but it seemed as though Soobin sang it differently. He still delivered the raw emotion Yeonjun did, but rather than desperation filling his voice, Soobin seemed to sound regretful as he sang. The song was about reminiscing on past memories and experiences, so was Soobin regretting them? What possibly could he regret?

Yeonjun dared to turn his head to look at Soobin, no surprise whatsoever as he watched him sing. He looked the way he always did as he sang, eyes conveying what words could never, upturned lips open to sing. Yeonjun hated how he still admired Soobin’s ethereal demeanor; there was no point to anymore. Soobin had made it clear enough that he didn’t want Yeonjun’s neglected feelings; he made it clear when he told Yeonjun to leave. Soobin was probably ready for the night to be over so he would never need to see Yeonjun again.

_"If this is it, I'm signing off_

_Miss doing nothin' the most of all."_

Yeonjun knew his words sounded solemn as he sang. It was the only way he could release his emotions without directly facing Soobin. Because it was sad, _so sad_ , that Yeonjun’s hopes were crushed over some 6’1” guy that he quite literally fell for at a boba shop. He gripped the microphone although there were no more words for him to sing.

Taehyun delicately played the last thirty seconds of the piano instrumental provided by the end of the song, the riff repeating itself and growing gradually quieter each time. Yeonjun raked his gaze over the crowd one final time, looking at all the bodies pressed closely together amongst the museum’s proximity. It was an out of body experience almost, as he stared at all the people who he had just sung for.

The song faded to an end and the wave of cheers and roars from the crowd was overwhelmingly loud and unexpected. Yeonjun realized how many people the five of them had touched during those thirty minutes, a gentle smile reaching his face as the realization hit him.

“Thank you, everyone!” Yeonjun could hear a similar smile in Soobin’s voice as he spoke into the microphone one final time before he took a step back.

Yeonjun looked out at the crowd one last time—and briefly waved at Changbin and Wooyoung—before turning around and walking away from the microphone to see the others were doing the same. The curtain started to close behind them, but Yeonjun was already on his way down the staircase once it was completely shut.

It seemed as though it was finally time for Yeonjun to bid all of this farewell, the adrenaline in his veins from performing starting to dissolve into an emotionless tiredness. This was it. Once he was backstage, it would all be over.

So when Yeonjun _did_ make his way backstage, he wasn’t sure as to how he was supposed to feel. Sad? Mad? Defeated? He lifted the guitar strap off his shoulder, carefully setting the instrument down against the wall to let it lean. He’d probably have to give it back to Soobin now. It would’ve been a good idea to try to find him now, wouldn’t it? Maybe Yeonjun would’ve had the chance to wish him one final farewell before going home and attempting to erase the boy from all aspects of his mind.

Just as he turned around to follow through with such a pursuit, he was faced with the one and only boy on his mind.

His heart rate spiked. “Oh, Soobin! I was just gonna-”

Yeonjun couldn’t finish his sentence as Soobin took a stride forward before pressing his lips against the other’s.

_Wait, what?_

Yeonjun froze, the shock he felt isolating his entire body for a moment. Was this all a dream? Was he about to wake up to feel his body become washed over in a wave of disappointment?

Oh no, it was real. If this were a dream, he wouldn’t have been able to feel his back hit the wall that he was suddenly pressed against. Yeonjun finally seemed to have fallen back into reality as he let his eyes flutter closed and leaned into the kiss. _Choi_ fucking _Soobin is kissing me right now._ He let his mind process the mere fact that no gap existed between their lips as he naturally kissed Soobin back, his hands finding his hair to grip on.

Yeonjun felt as if he were transcending to another realm as he kissed Soobin, the faint taste of cherry on the other’s lips. He prayed his breath didn’t smell too greatly of the cannabis he had smoked earlier. Yeonjun’s mind was racing a mile a minute as he felt a pair of arms snake around his waist, creating a barrier between his back and the bare wall supporting him.

After what felt like an eternity and a half—but was actually only about forty-five seconds—Soobin finally pulled away and inhaled a gulp of air. Yeonjun did the same, not realizing how breathless he had grown amidst the kiss. He stared into Soobin’s eyes, which were cloudy with...was that relief? Or maybe it was excitement or a combination of both. Yeonjun wasn’t sure, but did he really care at that point?

“What the fuck?” Yeonjun gasped, voice still breathy as he spoke. And although he had convinced himself this wasn’t a dream, he still asked, “Is this real?”

Soobin smiled. “Yeah, it’s real.”

“But I thought-”

“I like you too, Yeonjun,” Soobin said, his chest noticeably rising and falling as he spoke. “I was...dumb.”

Yeonjun wasn’t necessarily sure as to what that meant, but he took it as an answer. Whatever reason as to why Soobin initially rejected him wasn’t important in that exact moment. What mattered was that his feelings were reciprocated.

“That’s one way to confess your feelings,” a new voice appeared from beside them, Yeonjun turning his head before he met Beomgyu’s eyes. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and an impish smile plastered on his face. “It seems as though it went well, did it?” His eyes flicked from Yeonjun to Soobin, who smiled sheepishly as his face grew red.

“Yeah, it went just fine.”

“What do you mean?” Yeonjun asked, unsure as to whether he was asking that question to Soobin or Beomgyu.

“He was planning on confessing today,” Beomgyu said before Soobin could answer. “I didn’t think he’d be _that_ bold though. It took _so_ much persuasion before he actually decided to go through with it.”

Soobin shot Beomgyu a warning glance, who stuck his tongue out before pushing himself off the wall and leaving, claiming that he would give the two “alone time”, whatever the hell that meant.

“So,” Yeonjun spoke, causing Soobin to turn back to him. “We went through this entire week barely saying a word to each other, and you liked me back this whole time?”

“I mean, pretty much. I decided to save it for tonight,” Soobin sighed, smile fading from his features. “Sorry if I like, broke your heart.”

“I had to smoke some of Changbin’s fucking weed in an attempt to get my mind off of you earlier,” Yeonjun muttered, glaring up at Soobin playfully.

“I’m sorry! I freaked out and acted on an impulse back then,” Soobin slipped his hands off of Yeonjun’s waist to raise his hands up in defense.

Yeonjun laughed, lightly hitting Soobin’s arm. “There, that’s what you get for making me feel like absolute utter _shit_ for a week, Choi Soobin.”

“That’s it? Thank God,” Soobin dramatically brought his hand to his chest in exaggerated-relief.

“Yeah, only because it’s you,” Yeonjun said, crossing his arms.

“Aww, I already have a special place in your heart,” Soobin teased, jamming one of his fingers to Yeonjun’s chest where he assumed his heart was. “How cute.”

“It’s gonna be revoked if you don’t stop,” Yeonjun mumbled, cursing at himself for letting an obvious shade of pink flush his cheeks.

Soobin just laughed, uncrossing Yeonjun’s arms to take one of his hands into his own. “Fine. Let’s get out of here?”

“Fuck yeah, it’s getting hot,” Yeonjun complained. “I wanna get high.”

“You smoked weed earlier.”

“It was only one hit! And it’s not like you’re any better.”

“Okay, okay,” Soobin sighed, tugging gently on Yeonjun’s arm. “Let’s hurry up and get to my car then.”

Yeonjun smiled in satisfaction as he let himself get pulled away.

Upon running across the parking lot located in the back of the museum, the pair had finally made it to Soobin’s car, panting as they had completely booked it for some reason. Soobin unlocked the car and Yeonjun quickly whipped open the door of the passenger seat to settle into.

“Someone’s excited,” Soobin commented as he stepped into the car himself, shutting the driver’s door shut. Yeonjun nodded, watching the other open up the car’s glove compartment and fishing for that _fucking_ cherry puff. “Here it is,” he pulled the red puff bar out and gave it to Yeonjun.

“You haven’t finished it yet?”

“There’s like, five hits left. You can finish it off if you want to.”

Yeonjun leaned back in the chair, bringing the puff to his lips before taking a hit. He closed his eyes as he felt his body sink into the cushion of the car seat. “No, we can share the last five hits.”

“Are you sure?”

“Mhm. I like the smell of cherries on you.”

Yeonjun’s eyes were closed, but he knew Soobin was smiling. “You've told me that already, haven't you?”

“Yeah. It makes you more...you.”

“I see,” Soobin said. Yeonjun felt the puff bar slip out of his hand so he opened his eyes to see Soobin had reached over and grabbed it. “Then I suppose we can share it.”

Yeonjun watched him inhale the cherry vapor, his senses satisfyingly tingling when the air in the car started to smell like that artificially-sweet cherry scent he knew so well. Soobin exhaled before handing the puff to Yeonjun. “Three hits left.”

Yeonjun took a hit. Then he gave it to Soobin and he took a hit. But Soobin didn’t give the puff back to Yeonjun.

“Hey, don’t I get the last one?” Yeonjun asked, looking at Soobin inquisitively.

“Yeah, you do.”

“So, are you gonna give me the puff bar?”

“You’ll see,” Soobin smirked before he lifted the puff up to his lips, pressed the button, and inhaled.

“Hey! You just said you were gonna-” Yeonjun’s protest was cut off when Soobin placed two fingers underneath his chin and jammed their lips together. _What the fuck?_

Yeonjun sat there with his lips against Soobin’s, hesitantly closing his eyes and then suddenly realizing what he was doing. He slowly opened his mouth and he felt Soobin’s warm breath fill his mouth, the intoxicating cherry flavor the only thing Yeonjun could taste. He felt Soobin pull away and Yeonjun slowly opened his eyes before opening his mouth and breathing out the sad excuse of vapor that hadn’t yet dissolved during the mouth-to-mouth transfer.

“What was that?”

“We _shared_ the last puff,” Soobin said. 

Yeonjun smiled before taking a huge breath of air. He exhaled rather loudly, and Soobin looked at him funny.

“What does it smell like?”

“Like cherries. Like you.”

Soobin smiled before leaning in to kiss Yeonjun with his cherry lips again.

**Author's Note:**

> songs referenced :  
> You Were Beautiful - DAY6  
> I Loved You - DAY6  
> The Weekend - SZA  
> Where the sea sleeps - DAY6 (Even of Day)  
> The greatest - Lana Del Rey
> 
> ty for reading love !


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